The Brazil global is set to line up against Ibrahomovic and Paris Saint-Germain in Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium, with the tie poised at 2-2 following the first-leg at the Parc des Princes.
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City had never made it into the last eight of Europe’s premier competition before this season, and Hart acknowledged that it was a special achievement for the club. “And as I said, we have to be careful, because he is a player who can decide a match”. “It was a very bad first goal for us to concede after being 1-0 up”, he told BT Sport after the game.
He said: “PSG didn’t create a lot and I think we deserved to go through”.
“But tonight we played against one of the best teams in Europe and beat them”.
That proved to be the last of the goalmouth action as City comfortably saw out the game to record just their second knockout victory in the competition, consigning PSG to a quarter-final exit for the fourth consecutive year in the process.
Mourinho has won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan, and is available after his surprise dismissal by Chelsea earlier this season.
“The second half was better, when we reverted to our normal tactics, but we gave away two games”.
“I really believed we would win this tie and qualify for the semi-finals”.
City’s fans had to endure a couple more nervous moments, with Hart rushing out superbly to save from Edinson Cavani and Ibrahimovic seeing a goal ruled out for offside, before the final whistle rubber-stamped their club’s arrival in the European big-time.
Sergio Aguero went close to breaking the deadlock in the 23rd minute, firing his shot into the side-netting after good build-up play between De Bruyne and David Silva. “They were very solid, particularly in the middle of defence, but ultimately the buck stops with me”.
“One of the targets is to win, of course, some day the Champions League”. “We receive a lot of criticism for different reasons, but every year we are improving”.
“We’re in the half-final (semi) now so anything can happen”.
“We were very unlucky in the last two seasons, we played against Barcelona in the round of 16 so that is why we can’t continue”. If we prepare to play 0-0 I think we lose.
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And as seen in the first leg of their battle, both squads are eager to get goals in to get the win and eliminate their worthy opponents.
