Paris: Luis Suarez scored a double on his return to England for the first time since a big money move last summer as Barcelona secured a 2-1 win over Manchester City in their Champions League last 16 first leg clash.
The Uruguayan — who moved to Barcelona from Liverpool — struck twice in the first-half on Tuesday to give his side the upper hand heading towards the second leg at the Nou Camp next month.
Sergio Aguero grabbed a goal for City — though the hosts were soon afterwards reduced to 10 men when Gael Clichy was sent off — and Joe Hart kept City in it with a last minute penalty save from Lionel Messi.
It leaves City with a glimmer of hope of becoming the first side since Liverpool in 2007 of preventing Barcelona from reaching the last eight.
Suarez, who took his tally to nine goals for Barcelona in 23 appearances in all competitions, admitted Hart’s save had kept the tie alive.
“I think that is a positive thing for them,” said Suarez, whose career at Barcelona started belatedly as he served a suspension for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in last year’s World Cup.
“If it had gone in it would have been a different scenario.
“But at 2-1 there’s a chance for them.”
City manager Manuel Pellegrini, whose side went out to Barcelona at the same stage last year, confessed his side had only started to play in the second period.
“We conceded an early goal and played very bad. In the second half we did what we talked about before the game,” said Pellegrini.
“We have a chance. We must try to do it there in the next game.”
The other tie of the night saw Juventus beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in Turin, in the first meeting between the two sides since the German outfit beat them in the 1997 Champions League final.
Chiellini was at fault for Dortmund’s equaliser — after Carlos Tevez had opened the scoring for the hosts — as he slipped when in possession and Marco Reus needed no second invitation to score.
“We needed to be strong mentally after that happened,” said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri about the tying goal.
The players responded accordingly as impressive Spaniard Alvaro Morata restored Juve’s advantage shortly before the half-time break. (AFP)
