Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has defended his decision to field two strikers in the 2-1 Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat against Barcelona.

Pellegrini started with Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko up front in a 4-4-2 formation for last month's clash at the Etihad Stadium, rather than opting to play with an extra midfielder.

The City boss received criticism for the move, given that Barcelona went on to dominate possession for much of the game, while they could well have won by a far wider margin.

However, Pellegrini is quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph: "I don't agree that we had a problem tactically because we played with two strikers [in the first leg].