Vincent Kompany feels Manchester City’s improbable Premier League title win in 2012 proves overturning a 2-0 deficit and beating Barcelona in the Camp Nou on Wednesday is possible.
• Curtis: The river runs dry
• Palmer: Aguero gives City hope
City enter the Champions League last-16 second-leg clash against the Spanish champions with it all to do after their first-leg defeat at the Etihad Stadium on Feb. 18.
However, they became Premier League champions in 2012 on a remarkable last day of the season when they went into injury time trailing Queens Park Rangers 2-1, before late goals from Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero secured them the title.
And Kompany, 27, told a prematch news conference: “Football is made out of nights like this. If anything should give you belief, then it should be that day against QPR.
“It's all about that first goal. If we get a lead, then the dynamics of the game will change. In my opinion, nothing is better than chasing a lost cause but the motivation is there and the belief is there.”
The Belgium international accepts City are underdogs going into the game, but added: “This is one of the toughest places in the world to come and try to achieve something like this. It’s in our own hands and that’s the good thing, so I guess the message to everyone is that we have to believe. I am actually very excited about this one, and the whole team is the same."
City have scored 122 goals in all competitions this season and Kompany feels they have the forwards to trouble Gerardo Martino’s team.
He said: "I am looking at the strikers we have. I think of Aguero, of [Alvaro] Negredo, of Dzeko and that's what I want to focus on. We have firepower up front and if everything goes well, we are capable of hurting Barcelona.”
Kompany says he wants to make a statement in Europe after conceding City underperformed when Barcelona came to Manchester for the first leg.
He said: “We never showed how good we are. It's disappointing. This may be the last chance we get this season to show how good we are."