In a repeat of last season’s draw, Manuel Pellegrini’s men will welcome the Catalan club to The Etihad in February before travelling to the Nou Camp in March.

The relative lack of current success for both clubs is threatening to take some of the bite out this most tempestuous of clashes.

City are currently on fire with six consecutive wins and celebrated qualification into the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

Manchester City defender Gael Clichy believes that City can achieve greatness this year if they continue to play as they did in last night’s crucial Champions League group game against AS Roma.

City need a win in Rome to give them the best chance of qualification from Group E and must hope that CSKA Moscow fail to win at Bayern Munich.

Argentine striker Aguero went off with knee ligament damage before City ran out 1-0 winners over Everton in the Premier League at The Etihad as they look ahead to Wednesday’s must-win Champions League game.

United manager Louis van Gaal has again been promised another vast transfer budget to continue re-shaping his United squad, on top of the £150million spent in the last window.

Trailing 2-1 with five minutes to go against Munich in the Champions League, Sergio Aguero capitalised on two errors to clinch the game 3-2 for City.

Bayern Munich fans forced to watch Champion’s League match against CSKA Moscow from the top of a skyscraper after officials ordered the game be played behind close doors due to racist behaviour and crowd trouble.

CSKA Moscow had been forced to play their Champions League home games against Manchester City and Bayern Munich with no fans present, but there appeared to be up to 300 home fans present at both games while visiting fans were turned away, leaving them up to £1,000 out of pocket.

Not long into his first season in charge, Van Gaal’s United sit fourth in the Premier League after 12 games but are yet to replicate the performance levels of the side during Sir Alex’s 26-year reign.