LONDON: Manchester City reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time after wrapping up their second round victory over Dynamo Kiev but their celebrations were muted by a new calf muscle injury to Vincent Kompany.
City’s skipper limped off in the sixth minute of the home second leg which ended 0-0 to see them through 3-1 on aggregate.
Manager Manuel Pellegrini said: “Vincent unfortunately again has a muscle injury in his calf, the same problem as he had before. We will know maybe tomorrow or the day after how important it is, but always a muscle injury is a minimum of one month.
“Having this problem in his calf and it being the middle of March, at least three-quarters of the rest of the season he will not play.”
Kompany has repeatedly suffered with calf problems this season and throughout his City career. The Belgian was making only his seventh appearance since his last spell on the sidelines, and his sixth in a row, with all of them having been starts.
On the positive side, the result took City through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time. Dynamo failed to make much of an impression and, injuries apart, City completed the job with little alarm.
They also came closest to scoring when Jesus Navas hit a post in the second half.
The night’s other tie saw Atletico de Madrid come through a tense penalty shoot-out to advance past PSV Eindhoven.
Following a goalless draw in Holland last month, neither side could find a way through in an entertaining 120 minutes at the Vicente Calderon either, although Jurgen Locadia and Fernando Torres both hit the post at either end in an open contest.
Players from both teams managed to find the net with regularity during the spot-kicks, though, until PSV substitute Luciano Narsingh rattled the 15th attempt against the crossbar, allowing Juanfran to convert his penalty and send the 2014 finalists through.
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