According to Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini Manchester City can “reduce the gap” in the way the club preforms emulating the success of the Catalan giants within five-years.
Lionel Messi and company have beaten City four-times in their recent Champions League meetings, and unlike the north-west club look poised to make it to the final where they will meet either Real Madrid or Juventus in Berlin, while also being in the hunt for the Spanish domestic crown.
Pellegrini admits a lot of the Catalans success is down to Lionel Messi as the 53 goals he has scored this season shows, and points out that to reach Barcelona’s level City must find their own Messi.
“This season we are really seeing again the Barcelona we saw a few years ago,” he said.
“But there are things we can try to do to reduce the gap. I’m sure we’re going to do it sooner than five years.”
He added: “First we need to find another Messi. He makes the difference, without doubt, like [Cristiano] Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
“But last year Barcelona didn’t win any titles. Messi is an important player, but it’s not just Messi. You need a lot of things around him to be an important team.”
