Costly effort for Manchester City
Advance to quarter-finals for first time in team history but lose Kompany to injury
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND— Manchester City’s players trudged off the field, many fans left early and the final whistle was greeted with only a smattering of cheers.
It was hardly the way the English club envisaged marking progress to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in its history.
Another landmark feat for Abu Dhabi-owned City was achieved on Tuesday thanks to a lacklustre 0-0 draw with Dynamo Kyiv at Etihad Stadium, which sealed a 3-1 victory on aggregate. Progress came with little fanfare and at a cost, with captain Vincent Kompany hobbling off in the fifth minute with a recurrence of his long-standing calf problems that could keep him out for a month.
“It was really satisfying to make history for this club,” City defender Pablo Zabaleta said.
Injuries to Kompany and fellow centre back Nicolas Otamendi, who hobbled off in the 23rd after a clash of knees, were the major incidents in a soporific match as City advanced with the minimum of concern but without impressing, either.
Kyiv, seeking a first Champions League quarter-final berth since 1999, needed to score three goals to stand a chance of advancing but barely threatened until creating a couple of opportunities in the final minutes. City’s reorganized defence stayed relatively solid and the team took few risks, with Jesus Navas striking a 61st-minute shot against the post for City’s best chance.
Atletico Madrid beat PSV Eindhoven 8-7 on penalties to advance after the night’s other match finished 0-0 after both legs and extra time.
City will be hoping to avoid the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona — should the Spanish champion advance, as expected, on Wednesday — as likely the only English club in Friday’s draw for the quarter-finals.
“When you are at this stage, all the teams are difficult,” coach Manuel Pellegrini said.
Aside from possibly Sergio Aguero, Kompany was the last person Pellegrini would have wanted to see come off injured given his importance to the team and the assuredness he brings to an often shaky defence. The Belgium international appeared to get hurt over-reaching as he turned to retrieve the ball under pressure. Kompany immediately kicked the ball out before signalling to the bench and slumping to the ground.
City’s problems exacerbated when Otamendi indicated to come off in the 23rd as he thumped a clearance downfield.
Minutes earlier, he had come off worse after a clash of knees with Vitaliy Buyalskiy and had been hobbling around.
City, fortunately, had two centre backs on the bench in Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis, who dealt adequately with Dynamo’s sporadic attacks.
“We knew before the game Dynamo had to score three goals to qualify,” Pellegrini said. “We didn’t want to force the game. So many times I think this team receives criticism that we don’t know how to defend; I think we defended today without any problems.”