Manchester City looked as though they’d turned a corner in the Stadio Olimpico during their 2-0 win against AS Roma. Manuel Pellegrini and his team were happy to relinquish some initiative against a fine Giallorossi side, remained compact and when their opportunities arose, they seized them with a forensic incision; it was a long overdue, classic European performance from the men in sky blue.

The hope was that this cornerstone victory—one that cemented their spot in the last-16 of the Champions League—would be a blueprint for future European encounters against top quality opposition. But as Barcelona and Luis Suarez ran riot in the opening 45 minutes at the Etihad Stadium in a 2-1 win, some unerringly familiar errors creeped back into City’s game.

Yes, the English champions rallied with distinction in the second half and Joe Hart’s late penalty save from Lionel Messi does give them a fillip of hope going to the Nou Camp. But on the evidence of the 90 minutes as a whole, they’ll struggle to make it through the tie.

While confidence is a wonderful thing, too much can quickly manifest as plain naivety. It was something that was evident in Vincent Kompany claiming earlier in the week that a clash against Stoke City was more difficult than playing the Catalonian giants. It was prevalent when Samir Nasri implored his teammates to show less respect to this fine Barcelona side. And Manuel Pellegrini’s team selection reeked of it.

So often in European matches, City have been engulfed in midfield when deploying the Chilean’s favored 4-4-2, but that’s how they lined up again for this one; with an unfamiliar midfield pairing of Fernando and James Milner looking to knit things together in the middle of the park, no less.

It was a move that was dripping with perennial cockiness on the part of Pellegrini. It was only in the second half when the steely Fernandinho was introduced at the expense of the intricate but ineffective Nasri that City managed to really get a foothold in the game, as Barcelona sagged deeper to protect their two goal lead.

Pellegrini seems reluctant to take a step back in terms of his selections in Europe, especially at home. Indeed, the defensive system deployed in Rome was a product of circumstance in the main, with Yaya Toure suspended and both Sergio Aguero and David Silva injured. But that team bristled with the requisite intensity and endeavor needed to get a result against a top-class side in this competition.

There were none of those aforementioned attributes on show in the early exchanges here however, as Barcelona sashayed about the pitch with a swagger. Make no mistake, Luis Enrique’s side are a magnificent outfit, but City were too accommodating to their array of polished midfield men and effervescent forward players.

Chasing the ball around the park for the majority of the game breeds frustration too—especially for players acquainted with dictating the play themselves—and that was clear in the angst that tumbled down from the supporters in attendance. It’s something that surely transcends to the players as well, a narrative given credence by the myriad of instances in the Champions League this season when City players have lost their temper.

Gael Clichy was the latest player to see red in Europe, following on from the dismissals of Toure and Fernandinho in the group stages. Pablo Zabaleta—usually such a measured, assured defender—also lost his composure in the latter stages of this one, inexplicably hacking down his compatriot Messi in the box before Hart spared his blushes. It’s also worth noting that Martin Demichelis picked up a red card in this fixture last season for a professional, unnecessary foul.

In truth, Barcelona’s profligacy probably let City off the hook here and subsequently they’ll go to Catalonia with a fighting chance of progressing to the next round of the competition. But while the mood of those coming out of the Etihad might bittersweet after Hart’s late heroics, they’ll be acutely aware that there are factors that simply must be addressed in the immediacy if this team preserve their place in this competition.

Ultimately, this direction must come from the manager. Pellegrini has bore witness to his team’s best displays in Europe on the road and it’s imperative he uses the match in Rome as a template for this team’s clash at the Camp Nou. Of course, they need to score two goals and at some point in the match will have to take chances, but approaching the second leg with the same reckless abandon as the first will see this tie over in a flash with Messi, Suarez and Neymar in situ.

Nonetheless it’s difficult to shake off the feeling that the damage was already done as City chased shadows in the opening stages at the Etihad. And for a team and manager that looked to be learning some long overdue lessons in Europe, the regressions showcased in this match were hugely disappointing.

Follow Matt on Twitter @MattJFootball