Pellegrini wants more from superb City
Print Edition
MANCHESTER City manager Manuel Pellegrini urged his players to maintain the standards they set in sweeping aside Sevilla 3-1 to seal their place in the UEFA Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.
Despite its vast resources, City has struggled to make an impact on the Champions League, losing to Barcelona in the last 16 in the two previous seasons it has made it to the knockout stage.
However, the team produced arguably its best European display under Pellegrini’s tutelage as early goals from Raheem Sterling and Fernandinho fired the visitors into a 2-0 lead after just 11 minutes.
Benoit Tremoulinas pulled a goal back for Sevilla, but Wilfried Bony restored City’s two-goal lead before the break and Pellegrini’s men passed up a series of chances to add to their lead in the second half against a Sevilla side that had won its previous 10 European games at home.
“I am very happy because I think we played a complete game. We were good physically, technically and tactically,” said City manager Manuel Pellegrini.
“The most important thing is to keep playing the way we did today. I hadn’t been happy with the way we had been playing, even when we were winning. Today it was different and that is how we must continue.”
Victory takes City a point ahead of Juventus at the top of Group D with the two set to meet in Turin in three weeks’ time.
And Pellegrini is eager to top the group and avoid another clash with one of Europe’s elite in the last 16 this season.
“It is important to be qualified two games before, but we want to qualify first in the group.
“After that we need luck with the draw.”
A third consecutive Champions League defeat for Sevilla leaves its third in the group, five points behind Juventus, with Borussia Moenchengladbach bottom after its goalless draw with the Italians in Germany.
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