Joe Hart believes Manchester City's 2-0 win over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico was a "coming of age" display in the Champions League as Manuel Pellegrini's side reached the knockout stage of the competition.
This is the second consecutive season City have done so after the manager guided the club to the last-16 for a first time last year. The English champions finished second in Group E, three points better off then CSKA Moscow who lost at Bayern Munich, the team City memorably defeated 3-2 in their previous match to keep their hopes in the competition alive.
But after soaking up incessant pressure from Roma, particularly during the first half at a hostile Olimpico, a fine Samir Nasri strike on the hour and Pablo Zabaleta’s late second confirmed City’s qualification.
Asked if it had been a coming of age performance, away in the Champions League, Hart said: “Yeah it was about time we did. We can’t get away from the fact we started the campaign poorly but we have come good at the right time when we needed to and we have won the game.”
Defining performance
For Hart this was a defining European performance. “Yeah it was but we need to build on it now,” he added. “We got ourselves all the way through last time and we struggled against Barcelona so we have to look to go positive and see what we can do.
“It’s where we want to be. As much as an achievement it is, it is where we should be. I think we can’t get away from the fact we were poor to start with but we have come good at the right time and the boys are playing well.”
City’s win came without the starting XI featuring Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Yaya Touré and Sergio Agüero due to injury. “We can’t get away from that fact, they are four players who would get into most teams in the world,” said Hart.
“But the boys, we have always shown we are a strong squad and that’s how you win things and we have won things recently by doing that. We look forward to carrying on.”
Awaiting the draw
Of whom City might now meet following Monday’s draw when the Champions League resumes in the new year , Hart said: “The draw is going to take care of itself. It is what it is and we are just happy we are in it. We are confident we can do well against anyone but it is Leicester now (on Saturday) and we have to turn our eyes to that. That’s our next big game.”
This was a sixth consecutive win in all competitions for the Premier League champions and Hart admitted City have grown in confidence.
“After the international break we went into it having struggled a bit if I’m honest,” said Hart.
“We struggled at West Ham and QPR was a good result for us. Since then we have not really looked back. We got that win against Swansea. The (Jonjo) Shelvey free kick at the end of the game, I thought it was in, it wasn’t and we won the game. We have not looked back since.”
Of his own form - Hart made a fine save from José Holebas’s header onto a post when City led 1-0 - he said: “I feel good at the moment, I feel like I am doing my bit for the team. When the team is working well, I am doing my bit and the boys are doing it at the other end - thought Martin (Demichelis)and Elia (Mngala) were brilliant today as well as Zabaleta and Gaël (Clichy).”
Give us credit
Meanwhile manager Manuel Pellegrini rounded on Manchester City's critics after the victory, claiming his side are a complete team.
“We have a lot of different critics,” he said. “Last time we qualified with many points but played Barcelona and had a player sent off (in the last 16). This year against the Russian team (CSKA Moskow)we drew a game and that was important but we recovered and we are playing the same way in Premier League and Champions League. This team deserve a little more credit than the press always give us.”
Pellegrini had named a team without a number of standout players because of respective injuries and match-fitness concerns, plus the suspended Yaya Touré.
The greatest loss was that of the 19-goal Agüero but the manager said: “We are more than just Kun. This team is more than just one player. It’s not relief. After we beat Bayern I knew we had a good chance. I’m very happy because we beat a good team and played well from the beginning to the end. I trust in the players and the squad deserves more credit.
“I think the two centre-halves played very well. Martín Demichelis is experienced and Mangala we bought because he is a good player. He had some problems but I trust him and they both played very well. We are a compete team defending and attacking.”
My message
"My message? We are happy because we achieved a target and now we will try to catch Chelsea. I think Roma are a good team and played well but against Roma in Manchester it was the worst we played and we still drew. Here I knew that if we played as we have in the Premier League then we had a good chance to qualify."
This was City’s sixth consecutive win. “Trust has been key,” said the Chilean. “We were sure playing the way we have played in recent weeks we must win. We recovered our normal performance, playing good pressing and playing well with the ball. We are a solid team, we are recovering the ball in the correct way. I had a lot of trust in what we could do. I said I didn’t want to talk about players not in the team.”
Of Kompany’s potential availability, Pellegrini added: “It would have been a risk to play Vincent. I am hoping he is fit for the weekend.”
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