Two Premier League titles aside, Manchester City finally showed once and for all they are ready to be counted among Europes elite clubs.Coming off what could be a franchise-altering victory over Barcelona, City now try to avoid the dreaded letdown Saturday when they host new boys Middlesbrough.Things looked bleak at the Etihad on Tuesday after the Citizens fell behind 1-0 on Lionel Messis goal in the 21st minute. Here were Manchester City (7-2-1), playing with their backup goalkeeper, their confidence still fragile with one win in their last seven matches and on the verge of seeing the Catalan giants -- the class of Europe -- put together another one of their masterpieces that would again expose the gulf in class between the sides.Instead, Pep Guardiolas charges dug in against his former side and weathered the onslaught. And a goal by Ilkay Gundogan on 39 minutes leveled the match and changed the fortunes of Manchester City, likely for the short term and possibly forever.The hallmarks of high pressing and fluid passing Guardiola instilled at Barcelona now became Citys, and they took advantage of a weakened Spanish spine minus Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta to add second-half goals by Kevin De Bruyne and Gundogan again for a 3-1 victory that left them needing only three more points to secure passage back into the knockout round of the Champions League.If you talk about the first 30 minutes, we are not able to compare against the best teams, Guardiola said. This club was 25, 30 years out of Europe, while Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich were playing every year.We need time. We are three or four months into playing a different way. We try and now we won against the best team. For the future generations they are going to realise: wow these guys are able to beat the best team.Gundogan has played every bit the part of the £20 million transfer fee City paid Borussia Dortmund over the summer of late with braces in back-to-back contests. The German international had scored just once in his first eight matches after missing most of summer training due to a dislocated kneecap.While Sergio Aguero did not score, Guardiola singled out his striker for a relentless effort in leading the high line of pressure that unnerved Barcas backline, noting that he played awesome.It was also the type of effort City supporters had been waiting for Raheem Sterling to give since his arrival from Liverpool prior to last season -- running into the ground and being smart with possession, evidenced by his pass to set up Gundogans first goal. Yet for everything City did right, and there was plenty they did right, it could all go for naught without a victory to follow this weekend.The game against Middlesbrough will be another tough test, it will be completely different than against Barcelona, but in the end, we have to do the job and win the game, De Bruyne said.So into the cauldron of the Etihad enter Middlesbrough (2-4-4), still trying to find their bearings in the top flight and looking for any and every way to find points now that will help them in the relegation scrap they will likely endure come springtime.Boro snapped a six-match winless streak last Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth as Gaston Ramirez and Stewart Downing scored on either side of halftime, and they recorded a second consecutive clean sheet after shipping nine goals the previous five matches.We defended as a team -- mistakes have cost us in the past, Downing told the teams official website. Everyone put a shift in but thats what you need, everyone on your mettle when youre going for points in the Premier League.Manager Aitor Karanka will have a few more options to choose from in his starting XI for this match as Marten de Roon and leading scorer Christian Stuani are expected to be available. Additionally, midfielder and talisman Grant Leadbitter could also make the squad after playing for Boros Under-23 team Monday.I said always how important he is for the team, Karanka said. Even when he was injured, he was traveling with the team, and you can feel his character on the pitch and in the changing room.Now with him training and playing it is a massive and important thing for us.Even with the reinforcements, expect Middlesbrough to be compact against Manchester City similar to how they held Arsenal to a 0-0 draw despite conceding 70 percent possession to the Gunners.The teams last met in the top flight in the 2008-09 season, when the home team held serve in both matches. Middlesbrough have had the better of the rivalry in the Premier League era with 11 wins in 20 matches (11-5-4), highlighted by an 8-1 thrashing on May 11, 2008, in which Downing had two goals and an assist.Nike Air Max 720 Mujer Baratas .Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats. Nike Air Max 98 Baratas . The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling "puts an end to my dreams of being a top player," the 27-year-old Troicki said in a statement. "I worked my entire life for it, and it has been taken away from me in one afternoon by a doctor I didnt know," said Troicki, whose ranking peaked at No. http://www.tiendasairmaxbaratas.com/zapatillas-air-max-97.html . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. Air Max Baratas Falsas . Hargreaves began his career in 2008 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has played with the Edmonton Eskimos and last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Air Max Bw Classic Baratas . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half.The top two teams in the WNBA will battle for sole possession of first place in the Western Conference when the Los Angeles Sparks play host to the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles.Los Angeles (24-5) and Minnesota (24-5) are tied atop the Western Conference standings, 11 games ahead of the third-place Phoenix Mercury. Los Angeles is 12-1 at home. Minnesota is 10-3 on the road.Momentum seems to be on the side of the Lynx, who are 9-1 in their last 10 games while the Sparks have gone 6-4.Los Angeles has won three in a row since losing its first two games after the monthlong Olympic break. The Sparks are coming off an 88-81 victory over the Indiana Fever on Sunday.Nneka Ogwumike had 21 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Sparks, who shot 57.4 percent from the field. Candace Parker scored 19 points and Kristi Toliver added 18.Minnesota lost to the Connecticut Sun 84-80 in its first game after the break but has won three in a row since then, includinng a 94-79 victory over Connecticut on Sunday.ddddddddddddMaya Moore scored 24 points for the Lynx, who shot 53.7 percent from the field and forced 18 turnovers. Sylvia Fowles had 18 points, eight rebounds and five steals.Los Angeles and Minnesota are meeting for the third time this season. This will be the last time the teams face each other during the regular season.The Lynx beat the Sparks 72-69 on June 21 in Los Angeles. The Sparks avenged that loss three days later, beating the Lynx 94-76 on June 24 in Minneapolis.In the first game, Seimone Augustus scored 13 points, Rebekkah Brunson and Natasha Howard added 12 points apiece, and Renee Montgomery made a late 3-pointer to help Minnesota prevail.In the second game, Toliver scored 25 points and Ogwumike had 20 as Los Angeles ended Minnesotas WNBA-record streak of 13 consecutive victories to start a season. ' ' '