Dynamo Kyiv 1 - Manchester City 3 Johnny On the Spot & Stats Link

Johnny Baguette

Johnny Baguette

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Johnny On The Spot:

#IMPERIOUS. Tonight in the Ukraine Manchester City became the first English side to win the first leg of a Champions League knock-out phase for four years. Considering such a consumately measured and controlled yet aggressive win was achieved against a well rested squad who boasted 4 clean sheets in the group stages was no mean feat...City looked the real European deal...Oh, how the BT Bitters sweated in a crestfallen studio. While I am on that subject, whereas on the continent you will find a legion of TV panels who will back their clubs to the hilt in Europe, you won't find much of that in England...I digress. Much criticised by the aforementioned gurus, Manuel Pellegrini is tantalisingly close to taking a side into the Champions League Quarter Finals for a third time. If he can encourage the same siege mentality intensity from his suddenly effervescent charges in a fortnight's time, he will certainly do so in fine style. This was the level of performance these experienced players should be putting in week in, week out and it is no coincidence that the commanding Vincent Kompany's return has generated a renewed hunger across the park inside 180-odd minutes of football...Clearly stung by the harsh criticism shipped from learned hacks and pundits alike for fielding 8 teenagers against Chelsea in the FA Cup in a bid to damage limitate an injury ravaged squad, The Engineer wanted to make a stand tonight. I have never seen him so animated on the touchline and that he chose to defiantly demonstrate his team's fitness levels by making only 1 substitution in the 91st minute spoke volumes...To a man, City were competitive, alert and absolutely compact. Make no mistake, a win of this magnitude in the Ukraine is a tremendous achievement and all of a sudden, Planet Blue casts its eyes towards Jurgen Klopp's weirdo Candlefield boys band at Wembley with relish...There were outstanding showings throughout the team tonight but I am singling out Number 6 Fernando for Man of The Match. His commitment and drive helped ensure that Kyiv didn't get a sniff in the middle area of the pitch...Blues, we appear to have rediscovered our Mojo.

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"Dead Manuel Walking" (copyright BBC etc)

"I'm very happy because it is a very good result.

"It is not finished but playing away and having a two-goal lead is very good. The team played well and had lots of chances. Maybe when it was 2-1 we had moments of doubt, but then we got the third goal.

"Is the tie settled? No, it is important in football to never think it is finished. But to have that third goal gives us more confidence for the second leg."
 
Odds on that we'll progress, got to be happy with that, well done Manuel.

Stick it up your bollocks Shearer.
 
A fine showing and although I have heard the word 'vindicated' being mentioned in relation to Pellegrini it has been swiftly followed by a mealy mouthed 'well they still should have played their best team in th cup'. They just can't genuinely admit he has proved them wrong. There would not have been that energy or pressing had this team played on Sunday in what would have been a very hard fought cup match against a Chelsea team that might well have seen fit to leave one on a couple of our senior players.

I still heard Lawro giving it large about that on R5Live last night to a City supporter. Twat.

Some superb performances all around the park. Hopefully this will be the morale building result which can carry them forward on Sunday against The People's Champions.

Very interested to see what kind of side Klippity Klopp puts out tonight (& whether he gets his legs taken out for 'resting' key players) :018:
 
To be fair to Lawro during the game he was pretty much unstinting in his praise for City.

Before it they were still banging on about the Chelsea game - I was thinking please just give it a rest...

 
I understand he is not resting players Skoorb, merely they are not available, gets round that one then, even though they only have a trip to London and 4 days instead of a trip to Ukraine and three days.

Anyway it was a great team effort last night and my motm Otamendi only edged Aguero by a couple of points, but you found the guy in the Kiev half tackling which was due to the fact that City were doing some high pressing, something they have not done for ages.

Don't you just love the way Aguero gets the ball and then is surrounded by the opposition by manages to hold up the ball until the cavalry arrive. Silva is a marked man these days but still has the ability to escape the close attention or draws a foul and should by rights have got a penalty, but again the Referee only gets one look and for once I think the Referee did a good job in front of a crowd of 53,691 in which after City scored you could clearly hear Bluemoon being sung by the reported 800+ supporters.

Sagna, now there is a fellow that most of us would have sold in the Summer, but what a different player this season, almost as good as Zabaleta.

The enigma of Yaya Toure, makes great tackles gets caught in possession, slows down the play and then wacks in a trademark goal go figure. :001:
 
Interesting stat:

@City_Watch: City are the first English team to win the first leg of a Champions League knockout tie since 2012. [WhoScored]
 
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