The two sides meet in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League Tuesday in what is one of the most eagerly-anticipated ties in the round.
Barca, winners of the competition on seven occasions, take on a City side contesting their first Champions League knockout tie, but coach Martino is fully aware of the threat City pose.
Despite being without the injured Sergio Aguero for the first leg, Martino knows the Premier League title contenders carry a serious attacking threat.
"I really like Manchester City's diversity. They can create chances many ways, attack on the first and second line, go from inside to outside, (they are) good in the air, good in the set-pieces (and) they score a lot of goals.
"To defend that we must keep possession.
"City are very similar to us, maybe a bit more direct. I think the team with the least time on the ball will suffer the most.
"They are not a mini-Barcelona or a mini any team. They are one of the biggest teams in the world right now. They have great players from all over the world."
Gerard Pique, one of the defenders who will likely be tasked with stopping a City side that have scored 74 goals at home in all competitions this season, believes the Catalan giants are still a feared side despite not winning the Champions League since 2011.
"I don't know if we are feared as we were two seasons ago," he explained.
"I think that maybe they don't fear us as before because we didn't win the last two Champions Leagues, but they still respect us.
"But we are a team with players who have won the World Cup, the Champions League, the league. We can still be the best but have to show the world we can do it."
