Manuel Pellegrini was delighted by the style with which Manchester City knocked out Paris Saint-Germain to reach the Champions League semi-finals and the manager was emphatic they can win the competition.
Kevin De Bruyne’s 76th-minute goal beat the French champions 1-0 in the quarter-final second leg and 3-2 on aggregate to enter the draw on Friday. In reaching the semi-finals for the first time City continue to make club history, as they also had when qualifying for the last eight.
Asked if his side could reach the final in Milan and win the trophy, Pellegrini said: “Of course, because I think it is one of the targets of this club every year. This season, next season. We receive a lot of criticism for different reasons but every year we are improving.
“I am sure the target of this club is to win the Champions League but in winning the Champions League the project is not finished. They want to continue improving every season. Playing the way we did tonight I think we played better than PSG. We have a lot of trust we can play everyone.
“It is a very great achievement for the club, not only to be in the semi-final of the Champions League, to be in the best four teams of Europe, but also the style of play we never change. Maybe a lot of people thought we would try for the draw. From the beginning we think as a big team so I am very happy to continue with our style.”
In the previous two years City were eliminated by Barcelona in the last 16. Pellegrini directed some words at those who criticised the club for doing so. “I never understand the criticism we get,” the manager said. “We beat Bayern Munich in my first season and lost against Barcelona in the round of 16. In the second season we didn’t play well but beat Bayern Munich again and Roma, then we lost to Barça again. This season we won the group and now we beat PSG. I really don’t understand the criticism, or they [critics] don’t understand Barcelona have better players.”
This was only the fourth game for De Bruyne’s following the serious knee injury sustained at the end of January. He said: “It is huge for this club. Everyone talked about the Champions League and to be in the semi-final is a great achievement. But we are not done yet – it is two games to the final, so we will be doing everything we can to get through. It was one of the biggest nights of my career. I have played for titles and at the World Cup but this is definitely up there.”
Of his goal, the midfielder said: “I just tried to shoot into the corner and it went in. You just have to try and it’s great when they go in. When I got the ball I wanted to shoot directly but I saw some guys in black shirts so I took one touch and tried to bend it in the corner. I wished for this when I joined in the summer [from Wolfsburg] but it has been a season of ups and downs.”
Pellegrini said: “Kevin has an important thing for a player. We know near the box he is a very dangerous player. He doesn’t need too much space to have shots.”
Laurent Blanc, the magnanimous PSG manager, credited the home side for getting through the tie. “I think City were a lot more clinical and efficient and that is why they earned the qualification,” the former France centre-back said.
“They were a good team, not particularly spectacular, but very clinical and they got the job done. They were good in defence, very compact, even though that wasn’t the case in the first leg. We understand City probably deserve to qualify so well done.”
