Hart faces renewed onslaught from in-form Suarez

MADRID — Joe Hart is probably sick of the sight of Barcelona striker Luis Suarez and the Manchester City goalkeeper will need to improve his record against the Uruguayan if the English champions are to have any hope of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.

Barca lead 2-1 from last month’s first leg ahead of the showdown at the Nou Camp on Wednesday, when Suarez netted both goals, more evidence he is nearing top form after a stuttering start to his stint in Spain.

The former Liverpool forward, who has scored 10 times since the turn of the year, also put two past Hart when Uruguay beat England 2-1 in Sao Paulo in June at the World Cup finals.

The 28-year-old was banned for four months for biting an opponent in Uruguay’s subsequent game against Italy but since making his Barca debut at the end of October has slowly been getting back to his lethal best.

Linking up well with fellow South American forwards Lionel Messi and Neymar, Suarez has earned praise from Barca coach Luis Enrique for his work rate and it will be a huge challenge for City to thwart the fearsome trio on Wednesday.

Scoring goals has been City’s main failure in recent weeks, however, and Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League defeat at Burnley was their third reverse in four outings, during which they have managed to find the net only four times.

It is a paltry return by City’s standards, especially considering they rattled in nine goals in their previous two games in England’s top flight.

“The issue for us at present is that we are not winning the games that we normally do, especially against teams we are expected to beat, and that is because we are not scoring goals,” City coach Manuel Pellegrini said.

“I’m sure all our players are giving all that they can at this moment but we have to keep trusting in what we are trying to do and believe our performances will return to our normal levels,” added the Chilean.

Four-time European champions Barca are seeking a record eighth consecutive quarter-final appearance and have history on their side.

They have progressed 33 out of the 35 times they won the first leg away in European competition, most recently against City at the same stage last season when the English club were appearing in the Round of 16 for the first time.

And only twice in the Champions League era has a team won a knockout round tie after losing the first leg at home.

Dortmund-Juventus

Borussia Dortmund’s must score at least once to overturn a 2-1 Champions League last 16 first leg deficit against Juventus on Wednesday but are confident their watertight defence can hold firm and keep the Italians at bay.

The improving Germans, who have recovered after a dismal first half to the domestic season that saw them anchored in last place as recently as last month in the Bundesliga, have kept a clean sheet in their last three league games, including a 0-0 draw against Cologne on the weekend.

With Neven Subotic and Mats Hummels back fit in central defence, along with fullbacks Marcel Schmelzer and Lukasz Piszczek, Dortmund’s defence has been as solid as it has been all season.

“[Against Cologne] we played another game without letting in a goal and that is something we can build on,” coach Juergen Klopp told reporters. “We want to advance to the quarter-finals and we can do this.”

Dortmund boast a fine record at home in Europe having won 11 of their last 14 Champions League games at the Westfalenstadion.

But in order to book a spot in the last eight they have to snap a losing run at home against Juventus, having lost all three previous encounters against the Italians in Dortmund.

Klopp will be counting on goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has scored five in his last seven outings and in-form Marco Reus, who has struck five times in eight games.

Juventus are flying high in Serie A, edging closer to the Italian title with their first triumph away from home in over two months at Palermo, opening up a 14-point lead.

“One less win needed to win the league,” Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said, knowing he will now need to shift his focus to Dortmund and their attacking game.

“We will need to take the lead there, maybe score more than one goal,” said the coach.

They will, however, be without influential playmaker Andrea Pirlo who has yet to fully recover from a thigh injury suffered in the first leg.

“He has made good progress but not enough to be in Dortmund,” the club said in a statement.