City through, Atleti outlast PSV on penalties
 |
| Getty Images |
Manchester City and Atletico Madrid are the latest two teams through to UEFA Champions League quarter-finals this season, joining the four sides who advanced from the previous week, and the English club and Spanish side progressed to the last eight in polar opposite fashions.
Manuel Pellegrini’s men fended off a determined Dynamo Kyiv for a goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium to secure a 3-1 aggregate victory, thanks to their efforts during the first leg. There were few opportunities for either side, with City comfortable to hold on to their two-goal advantage, while Kyiv rarely found themselves in the final third to cause any significant threat to Joe Hart’s domain.
The night did, however, see Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi forced off in the first half due to injury, causing concern for the Citizens as they continue to make a push for top spot in the English Premier League, alongside their Champions League quarter-final berth.
Meanwhile, in Madrid, Atleti held a persistent PSV scoreless just as the Dutch club did three weeks prior in Eindhoven, forcing a penalty shoot-out to determine who would move on to the quarter-finals. Despite the tired legs that go hand-in-hand with a goalless 120 minutes, the two sides put in a memorable performance from the penalty spot as the hosts escaped 8-7 winners in the highest scoring shoot-out in Champions League history.
After seven rounds of perfect penalties, PSV’s Luciano Narsingh smashed his spot-kick off the crossbar, sending the stadium into an uproar. With Diego Simeone enthusiastically offering his support from the sideline, Juanfran confidently scored Atleti’s eighth, causing wild celebrations inside the Vicente Calderon.
The final two spots in the last eight of Europe’s elite competition will be decided on Wednesday, when Barcelona host Arsenal, ahead 2-0 on aggregate with those valuable away goals creating an even tougher challenge for Arsene Wenger’s men at the Camp Nou, while Bayern Munich and Juventus will do battle to settle their 2-2 aggregate score.