Manchester City 1-2 Barcelona: Joe Hart hailed as Manuel Pellegrini targets second leg shock

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini believes Joe Hart's stoppage time penalty save from Lionel Messi has kept alive his side's hope of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals despite facing an uphill battle in the second leg against Barcelona.

Luis Suarez's double, an advantage halved by Sergio Aguero's second half strike, means City are clinging onto their European lives however Hart's late stop from Messi - his fifth failure to score from the spot from his last 10 penalties - kept the lead to one.

City must score at least twice in the Nou Camp in three weeks time to stand any chance of reaching the last eight and Pellegrini says Hart's late parry keeps the Premier League champions in with a glimmer of hope.

"It was a very important save because first it was a very unnecessary penalty, our emotions inside the box," he told reporters. "It gives us more of a chance to win in Barcelona. At 3-1 it would have been difficult but I think we will have more chances."

Two goals from Suarez had threatened to see City's Champions League hopes evaporate before the second leg, but an improved second half showing, despite Gael Clichy's red card, sees City travel to Catalonia with renewed vigour.

"We scored one goal and we have two or three clear chances more to draw. After that we repeated the some mistakes from last year.

"We get one sent off again. For 15 or 20 minutes, with one man less it is very difficult against Barcelona an we finished with the penalty which Joe Hart saved very well.

"Well of course it is not the best result at home but we are going to play in Barcelona and I hope we are going to try at least in the way we normally play. We have a chance and we must try to do it.

"When we got to Barcelona we must play the way we normally do, like we did in the second half. We will have chances. If we do not play then it will be very difficult. If we played in the first half like we did in the second the score would have been different.

"In the way we dared to play, I think that we can do it. I think the second we are frustrated we are not less behind Barcelona.

"It is important to not make the same mistakes, we cannot get [a man] sent off because that is too much of an advantage. Also when we have the ball we must be the team that we are every week."