Manchester City are set to host Dynamo Kyiv for their chance to qualify for the Quarter finals of the Champions League, for the first time in their history.
After being held at Norwich in the Premier League over the weekend, City host Dynamo Kyiv for the second-leg fixture of Round of 16 of the Champions League.
The first-leg ended in a 3-1 victory for City with Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure scoring the goals. The result has given the home team a solid chance to proceed to the quarter-finals. This will be the first time in City’s history that the club will advance into the quarter-finals of the competition if they manage to get past Dynamo Kyiv.
In all the three Champions League appearances, City has never managed to advance beyond the Round of 16. They lost once to Fenerbache (first round, 1968/69), and twice to Barcelona (round of 16, 2013/14 and 2014/15).
However, with a two goal brace and an away goal advantage, City has a real chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals. Manager, Manuel Pellegrini has managed to help his former clubs (Villarreal C.F. and Malaga) reach that stage, but has yet to achieve that feat with City.
Dynamo Kyiv on the other hand, is also looking forward to their first quarter-finals since 1999. However, they have never won against English teams. The Ukrainian club has an overall record of W0 D2 L11 against them.
Which is why City are favourites to advance to the next round, and Pellegrini insists that they will not be complacent. Speaking during a news conference, Pellegrini said, ‘The most important thing is to know we are not yet qualified for the next stage so tomorrow we must be focused. We must be concentrated.
‘I talked with the players about what we must do tomorrow. We are going to play starting at 0-0 and to try to be a better team than Dynamo here at home, and it’s the mentality we have to have tomorrow.
‘We are going to have a strong squad. We need to win the game, so tomorrow we will put on the pitch the strongest squad we can do.’
Match Facts
- Manchester City have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League for the third consecutive season. They have never made it past the Last 16 though, being knocked out by Barcelona in each of the last two campaigns.
- Dynamo Kiev hadn’t reached the knockout stages of the Champions League since 1998/99. They were eliminated by Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.
- Among the 16 teams left, Manchester City are the only side yet to register a clean sheet in the Champions League this season.
- None of Manchester City’s 35 Champions League games have ended 0-0. Only Basel have played more games in the competition without registering a goalless draw (46).
- Manchester City have kept only one clean sheet in their 17 Champions League home games. It was against Bayern Munich in December 2011 (2-0).
- Manchester City have scored more goals than any other team in the final 15 minutes of games in the Champions League this season (6).
- Manchester City have picked up five cards in seven games this season (all yellows), the lowest total of any team in the competition this season.
- The first-leg between Kiev and City was the only game in the last 16 stage not to produce a single card.
Team News
Manchester City
Out: Delph (calf), De Bruyne (knee), Tasende (suspended)
Doubtful: none
Misses next match if booked: none
Dynamo Kyiv
Out: Rybka (knee), Morozyuk (knee), Moraes (adductor), Petrović (unspecified), Burda (unspecified), Myakushko (unspecified), Rybalka (groin)
Doubtful: Danilo Silva (muscle)
Misses next match if booked: Danilo Silva, Rybalka, Korzun, Buyalskiy
Possible Line-ups
Manchester City: Hart; Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy; Fernandinho, Touré; Navas, Silva, Sterling; Aguero
Dynamo Kyiv:Â Shovkovskiy; Vida, Khacheridi, Dragovic, Antunes; Veloso, Buyalskiy, Garmash, Yarmolenko, Gusev; Teodorczyk
From : Sofascore.com
