Injuries to the pair raises the concerning prospect of Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis – who finished the 0-0 draw with Dynamo at the centre of the City back-four – starting the game against United. The two sides would finish the first half 0-0 with City leading 3-1 on aggregate. The centre-back suffered a calf injury that is expected to keep him out of play for at least a month.
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With the Champions League quarter-finals staring them in the face though, City should ease past a gallant Kiev.
City owner Sheikh Mansour now has some reward to look back on in Europe, where the billion dollars he has spent since taking charge in 2008 has previously failed to make much impact (albeit while delivering five domestic trophies, including two Premier League titles).
It was hardly the way the English club envisaged marking progress to the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in its history. “This is a club that is growing and will continue to develop”.
In all competitions this season, Manchester City have conceded a goal every 156 minutes with Kompany on the pitch and every 70 minutes without him on the pitch. He turned and cleared the ball, before immediately signaling to the bench.
As he stared glumly in anticipation of a third injury layoff this season, the Etihad fell silent and groans were heard.
“I think that as a team when you have a new achievement, it’s always important for your trust [confidence]”, he said at the Etihad Stadium. “We are thinking about winning and nothing else”.
“You always want to go far, and to do that you have to face the best”.
Pellegrini, who will leave the club in the summer to be replaced by current Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola, said reaching the last eight for the first time is an important milestone in the evolution of Manchester City. “It was the sixth game, but he had not felt any problems before the games, so I think it was not a risk and bad luck only”, the outgoing manager added.
The injury to Kompany, and another less serious one to Nicolas Otamendi, took the shine off what was otherwise a good night – even though the game itself was a tiresome one.
In the other match of the day, Atletico Madird prevailed over PSV in a penalty shootout after their tie finished goalless over the two legs.
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Leading 3-1 from last month’s away leg, Manuel Pellegrini’s side completed the job in forgettable fashion, with Jesus Navas’s shot against the post for City the nearest either side came to breaking the deadlock.
