Manchester City put one foot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a crushing 3-1 win away against Dynamo Kyiv at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev on Wednesday night. Goals from Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure were enough to give the Premier League side a commanding lead while Vitaliy Buyalskyi scored the only goal for the home side.
Squads
Dynamo Kyiv: Shovkovskiy, Silva, Dragovic, Vida, Khacheridi, Rybalka, Garmash, Gonzalez, Buyalskiy, Yarmolenko; Teodorczyk
Manchester City: Hart, Sagna, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy, Fernando, Fernandinho, Toure, Silva, Sterling, Aguero
First Half: Kyiv struggle to keep pace with City
It was Kyiv’s attack against City’s defence in the first 10 minutes of the game. Andriy Yarmolenko was the home side’s main creative outlet and he was using the ball as much as he could, even testing Joe Hart with a shot from a tight angle causing the English goalkeeper to simply push it over the crossbar.
However, City made their presence felt soon after and scored the opening goal from a set piece. A corner-kick from David Silva was sent in deep towards the far post where Yaya Toure headed it down for Sergio Aguero to take one touch and pull the trigger from just outside the six-yard box to find the net.
Soon after the goal, Manuel Pellegrini’s side managed to impose themselves and Kyiv struggled to get going. A lack of match practice could have been a factor with Ukrainian football on a hiatus due to the winter break that began in the second week of December.
City’s domination forced Kyiv boss Serhiy Rebrov into making a tactical substitution by replacing Denys Harmash with defensive midfielder Miguel Veloso. But in spite of controlling possession a lot better, Fernando managed to make an interception that saw City counter with Aguero and Toure. City’s goalscorer set up the Ivorian midfielder who took a shot on goal from the edge of the box to force Kyiv’s 41-year-old goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskiy into a low save.
The visitors’ constant pressure paid off five minutes before half-time when they doubled their lead through David Silva. A long ball into the box was expertly controlled by Aguero whose back-heel found Sterling making a run past him. The English winger looked up to find Silva making a run to the far post and his cross was put away with ease as the goalkeeper scrambled and failed to make the save.
City had two chances to get a third before the break but Aguero shot wide on a counter-attack while Fernando headed over from a free-kick delivered into the box.
Half-time: Dynamo Kyiv 0-2 Manchester City
Second Half: City struggle before Toure applies finishing touch
Rebrov made his second substitution at half-time with Lukasz Teodorczyk coming off for Junior Moraes as the home side searched for a goal. Yarmolenko was at the heart of the action again as he looked to get as many shots on goal as possible. First, a run down the left flank saw him beat two players before he was stopped by Clichy. Moments later, he cut in from the right and let fly a shot that went wide of Hart’s goal.
Kyiv’s attacking momentum was momentarily broken when City countered through Sterling. The former Liverpool man tried to beat Dragovic with a nutmeg and beat him but went to ground in the box. Although he appealed for a penalty, there was no contact and he had simply lost his balance.
The home side’s pressure finally paid off at the hour mark when Vitaliy Buyalskyi pounced on a loose clearance and took a shot on goal. The shot hit the ground and then deflected off Nicolas Otamendi with Hart unable to react quickly enough to the change in direction and prevent Kyiv from getting a goal back.
Unfortunately for Kiev, Danilo Silva suffered a hamstring injury forcing Rebrov into making his final substitution. Kyiv were down to 10 men for a bit until they got Yevhen Makarenko to come on in the 65th minute. Meanwhile, Yarmolenko continued to torment the City back-line and had a fantastic chance to set up Moraes for a tap-in but his low cross was poor and allowed Hart to collect with ease.
Fernandinho then had a good shout for a penalty when he was brought down in the box but the referee refused to blow the whistle, allowing Kyiv to break forward only to be denied by Sterling tracking back. Shovkovsky was then called into action when a well-worked move saw Silva send the ball into the box and across goal from the right.
City were relentless in attack and Aguero also had a chance that was smothered by the goalkeeper. Hart was then forced into a big save at the other end when Buyalskiy’s low drive looked destined for the corner. Toure then had a good chance in the game when a Sterling cross into the six-yard box found him unmarked but his header just shaved the post on its way out.
However, Yaya Toure eventually got his goal and City’s third of the night in the 90th minute when he played a neat one-two, charged through the Kyiv defence and curled one in from outside the box with his left foot to give Pellegrini’s side three away goals.
Full time: Dynamo Kyiv 1-3 Manchester City
Other UCL scores
PSV Eindhoven 0-0 Atletico Madrid (Gaston Pereiro was sent off for PSV after receiving two yellow cards)
