Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has insisted that he and his teammates will not put pressure on themselves ahead of their highly anticipated Champions League clash against Barcelona.

The former Premier League champions will face the Spanish giants for the first leg in their round-of-16 tie at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

Despite City's impressive form this season, Toure has suggested that Barcelona's "experience" in the elite tournament has made them favourites for the encounter.

"They have experience," Toure told ESPN. "They have chemistry. They have a strong mentality. Barcelona know how to manage these [situations] because they have been such a strong club for so long and for us it is the first time [in the knockout phase].

"We don't want to put pressure on ourselves because clubs like Madrid and Barcelona have a big history. We want to be at that level. Our goal is to become one of the big fish."

City will head to Camp Nou for the return leg on March 12.