Dynamo Kiev vs. Manchester City: Winners and Losers from Champions League
Manchester City moved within sight of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory at Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday in the first leg of the two teams' round-of-16 clash.
Sergio Aguero opened the scoring in the 15th minute and then helped set up the second, which David Silva finished five minutes before halftime. Dynamo improved significantly after the break and pulled a goal back through Vitaliy Buyalskiy, but Yaya Toure sealed the victory with an impressive finish just before the full-time whistle.
The second leg is scheduled for March 15 at City's Etihad Stadium. Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Manuel Pellegrini
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Manchester City allowed Dynamo Kiev back into the game in the second half, with the hosts pulling a goal back through Vitaliy Buyalskiy in the 59th minute. However, when taken as a whole, this was a satisfying performance from the Sky Blues, and manager Manuel Pellegrini must be pleased.
Just three days ago, City lost 5-1 at Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round. Admittedly, Pellegrini selected a hugely inexperienced side for that match, but the nature of the defeat might have weighed heavily on some players' minds.
But if that was the case here, it wasn't evident at all. Of the two competitions, the Champions League is clearly City's priority, and Pellegrini opted for a strong lineup to reflect that fact. The big guns showed no ill effects from the FA Cup defeat, and in fact, the first half probably ranked among City's best of the season.
From here, Pellegrini and his players should have a comfortable task in the second leg. And while the competition will only become fiercer from here, this win will give City confidence for the rest of their run in the knockout stages.
"We are going into the second leg with a fairly good chance to go through, which has not been the case before," captain Vincent Kompany told UEFA.com. "We looked like a team that was hungry for success tonight."
Loser: Sergei Rebrov
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In fairness to Dynamo Kiev boss Sergei Rebrov, we should note that his side had not played a competitive match since early December. The nature of Ukraine's footballing calendar meant Dynamo would go into this match rusty, regardless of how much they prepared.
And yet, it's hard not to point an accusing finger at Rebrov anyway. Throughout the opening 45 minutes, Dynamo's players weren't just rusty. They looked slow, insipid and, at times, disinterested. The hosts showed little urgency and were guilty of too much ball-watching. At halftime, it was little surprise to see Man City with a two-goal lead.
Dynamo did improve in the second half, but by that point, the Ukrainians had dug themselves a massive hole. Vitaliy Buyalskiy's goal gave Dynamo hope, but by then, the damage had already been done.
Winner: Sergio Aguero
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Sergio Aguero scored once and helped set up another goal for Manchester City, underlining his vast value to the team.
The goal came in the 15th minute as David Silva curled a corner to Yaya Toure at the back post. Toure nodded down for Aguero, who controlled the ball with his chest and lashed a venomous shot into the net past Oleksandr Shovkovskiy.
Aguero was involved again in the 40th minute, when City netted their second goal. Holding up play on the left, Aguero spotted Raheem Sterling's run and freed his teammate with a clever back heel. The pass was weighted perfectly, allowing Sterling plenty of time to pick out Silva with a cross to the opposite post. From there, all Silva had to do was finish from close range.
With that, Aguero had made a decisive contribution yet again, playing a starring role in two goals as City built a big lead in a European knockout match.
Loser, Then Winner: Yaya Toure
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Yaya Toure can be an incredibly frustrating footballer at times, and this match served as an excellent example of the phenomenon.
After setting up Aguero's opener in the first half, Toure had a glorious opportunity to seal the match with a close-range header in the 82nd minute. It was a sitter, really, with Raheem Sterling teeing up the Ivorian with a mouthwatering cross from the left. But somehow, some way, Toure nodded the ball off target from all of five yards.
It was easier to score than miss, but this being Toure, he wasn't finished. In the 90th minute, the big midfielder came up with an eye-popping goal that sealed victory and more than made up for his earlier miss.
Working into the middle from the right flank, Toure traded passes near the edge of the box and curled an unstoppable drive with his (weaker) left foot for City's third.
It was the pick of the goals on the night, and as we mentioned above, it highlighted the frustrating inconsistency that so often follows Toure around.
Winner: Joe Hart
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Joe Hart couldn't have done anything about Dynamo Kiev's goal, a deflected shot that left him utterly stranded. However, the English goalkeeper came up with a huge save in the 79th minute that preserved Man City's precious one-goal lead (at the time).
With City leading 2-1 and Dynamo threatening to score an equalizer, Vitaliy Buyalskiy fired a low, first-time shot on target from the middle of the box. Buyalskiy placed the ball well toward the far corner, but Hart sprawled to tip it away with a strong right hand.
Had that gone in, Dynamo would have been level at 2-2 and this tie might have been far different. Instead, Hart denied Buyalskiy spectacularly, and City went on to win 3-1.
