Joe Hart believes Manchester City can win the Champions League, the goalkeeper saying this has to be the mindset when facing Dynamo Kyiv in Wednesday’s last-16 first leg in Ukraine.
City are yet to progress beyond this stage but the England goalkeeper is in bullish mood. “We’ve got to believe that [City can win it] or else there is no point in turning up on Wednesday,” he said. “We’ve got to believe that we’ve got what it takes. You know, it’s the best of the best, and if you’re not at your best you will lose, simple as that, in this competition. So it’s all about peaking for the game and being in the right place at the right time.
“It’s an amazing competition. It’s something we really look forward to as a team. But we’re very lucky that we’re involved in a lot of competitions. This is a good time to be a Manchester City player and good time to be fighting.”
Hart is aware that Dynamo will be playing a first competitive game since early December due to Ukraine’s winter break. “We expect a strong challenge,” he added. “It depends how you want to look at it, they’re either well rested or they could be rusty with the format of their league season, but that will all be decided after the game. They’re obviously in a strong position to be in the last 16 of the Champions League. They’re well proven in Europe, so it’s going to be a tough game and especially with a really tough away leg to start with.”
City are boosted by the news Eliaquim Mangala is fit, the defender having recovered from the hamstring injury he suffered in early January. The Frenchman’s inclusion means that City have a full complement of central defenders, as Vincent Kompany, Martín Demichelis and Nicolás Otamendi have also been selected by Manuel Pellegrini.
The manager has also rewarded Manu García for an impressive performance in Sunday’s 5-1 defeat at Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round by taking him to Kyiv.
