Pablo Zabaleta optimistic despite Barcelona defeat

Pablo Zabaleta has insisted that Manchester City can still progress in the Champions League despite their first-leg defeat to Barcelona in the last 16.

City were beaten 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday to leave them in a difficult position ahead of next month's return leg in Spain.

However, Zabaleta has urged his teammates to believe that they can make it through to the quarter-finals of the competition.

"Nothing is impossible in football," the Argentine international is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News. "We still have 90 minutes to try to do something. We should go there and try as hard as we can.

"At the end of the day we must be a little bit disappointed but now we need to have belief and try to do well in Camp Nou."

City make the trip to the Camp Nou for the second leg on March 2.