MAN CITY 0, DYNAMO KIEV 0
(City won 3-1 on aggregate)
It was a performance hardly in keeping with creating history as Manchester City won through to the quarter finals of the Champions League for the first time.
The reality was that City booked their passage to the last eight with a fabulous 3-1 win in Kiev three weeks ago in the opening leg of the last 16 tie.
This made the return effectively a dead rubber as Kiev were never in a million years going to score three goals to overturn the deficit.
And so it proved in what was a horrible goalless draw as City closed out the game by hardly breaking sweat – they were certainly never extended.
The only sour note were injuries to central defenders Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi that might have repercussions later in the tournament if their absences are long term.
But it was a satisfying night for Manuel Pellegrini as he has taken City further in the competition than any of his predecessors.
He said: “I am very happy with the achievement that is very important for this group which has been to improve every year.
“We were unlucky in the last two years to draw Barcelona, but this year we won our group so avoided them.
“We came through a tough group with Sevilla, Juventus and Borussia Monchengladbach, three of Europe’s top teams.
“We have been better prepared and with more experience to arrive at this stage of the competition, and hopefully it will continue.”
Pellegrini was satisfied with the performance explaining his side, 3-1 ahead from the away leg, didn’t need to take risks and force the game.
He said: “We had to play a tactical game. Dynamo needed to take more risks, but they didn’t create any chances other than one at the end.
“This team has been criticised that it cannot defend, but we did so tonight.”
And looking ahead to the last eight, Pellegrini added that Barcelona remain the stand out team with little to separate the remaining seven clubs still in the competition.
Pellegrini also revealed that Kompany is likely to be ruled out for at least one month, a massive blow, though the kick Otamendi received does not appear to be serious.
City, 3-1ahead from the first leg of their last 32 tie in the Champions League, weren’t taking any liberties.
Pellegrini fielded all his big guns including Yaya Toure who was returning after injury. There was no place for Raheem Sterling, though, as the £49million striker was only on the bench.
City’s night could not have got off to a worse start when captain Vincent Kompany pulled up with a recurrence of a troublesome calf injury after less than five minutes. He has managed only 18 appearances out of a possible 46 this season, and this was his fourth calf injury of the season and his 14th since he arrived at the club.
He was replaced by Eliaquim Mangala with Toure taking the captain’s armband.
And there was a second central defensive injury scare inside the opening quarter of an hour when Nicolas Otamendi was hurt following a collision with Vitaliy Buyalskiy, though he was able to continue after treatment.
But there was a booking for Otamendi for coming back on to the pitch without permission.
Otamendi limped off for five minutes before having to be replaced by Martin Demichelis as City’s injury blues worsened.
It took half an hour before either keeper was extended and then an angled shot by Kiev’s Lukasz Teodorczyk was easily saved by Joe Hart as it was proving far from a memorable European night in what was effectively a dead rubber.
City’s first serious goal attempt came in the 36th minute when Sergio Aguero scuffed a shot well wide from 25 yards, an incident that was in keeping with a scrappy game.
And City’s first on-target chance of the game after 50 minutes was a back pass from Aleksandar Dragovic, a further illustration as to how lacklustre City were.
Aguero played a delightful return pass with Toure just short of the hour, but his angled shot flew just wide of the far post.
City were gradually getting closer as Toure released Jesus Navas whise fierce drive from the right of the box struck the far upright.
Kiev also fashioned as opening as Andriy Yarmolenko cut inside Mangala, but shot straight at Hart.
At the other end Navas set up Toure whose drive flew straight to keeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy.
City made their last change with 12 minutes left when Sterling replaced Silva.
Kiev had a great chance to snatch victory on the night with three minutes left when Vitaliy Buyalskiy had a shot saved by a combination of blocks by Hart and Fernandinho with the visitors claiming handball against the Brazilian which replays confirmed.
And again with the last kick of the game substitute Olexandr Yakovenko was denied by a fabulous point-blank save from Hart, though the outcome of the tie had never been in doubt.