Manchester City didn’t let the lengthy trip to Ukraine stop it from doing what it does best: scoring high-quality goals.
Goals from Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure gave Manchester City a 3-1 win over Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 series. The victory moved Manchester City one giant step toward a first-ever appearance in the Champions League quarterfinal, and only a sizeable collapse in the return leg on March 15 at Etihad Stadium will keep the Aguero and Co. from the last eight.
The visitors wasted little time assuming control of the game, and Aguero put them in front after 15 minutes when he collected Toure’s knockdown and shot past the goalkeeper from close range.
Silva made the score 2-0 in the 40th minute. Aguero expertly controlled a long pass and back-heeled the ball to Raheem Sterling, who picked out Silva at the far post.
Vitaliy Buyalskiy cut Manchester City’s lead in half with a 59th-minute goal, and the hosts pressed for the equalizer for much of the second period.
But Toure ended an eight-game-plus Champions League goal drought with one of his best goals of the season. The Ivorian combined well with Fernandinho near Dynamo Kiev’s penalty area and curled his shot inside the far post.
Manchester City’s Champions League fate ultimately will depend on the opponents against which it’s drawn and its players’ form in the final months of the season, but goals like these suggest Manuel Pellegrini’s team can go where no team from the blue half of Manchester, England, has gone before.
Thumbnail photo via Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press
