Man City Champions League win justifies FA Cup changes - Manuel Pellegrini
Last updated on .From the section Football
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini said his decision to prioritise the Champions League over the FA Cup was vindicated by the win at Dynamo Kiev.
Pellegrini was criticised for playing a weakened side in Sunday's 5-1 fifth-round defeat at Chelsea, but they won Wednesday's last-16 first-leg tie 3-1.
"Having just 13 fit outfield players - it was a key decision to rest the team in the [FA Cup] game," said Pellegrini.
"It was important for the way we had to play this game with lots of intensity."
Pellegrini made 10 changes as he went with his strongest available line-up in Kiev.
Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure scored for City, while England keeper Joe Hart, who also missed the FA Cup tie, superbly saved an effort from Kiev scorer Vitaliy Buyalsky.
Chilean Pellegrini added: "In this profession you always get criticism when you don't win, but for the manager it is important to take the right decision.
"I always try to respect all the competitions but unfortunately we couldn't continue in the FA Cup."
City still have work to do
City are favourites to progress to the quarter-finals for the first time but Pellegrini, who will be replaced as manager by Pep Guardiola at the end of the season, warned that the tie was far from over.
"I'm very happy. It's a very good result," he said.
"I think the worst thing we can do is to think that because we won 3-1 away the game at home is finished.
"We played very well, created a lot of chances and we pressed very well."
'Good start to a big week'
City centre-back Vincent Kompany hopes the result will give his side confidence as they prepare to face Liverpool in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.
"It was a great result, especially away from home, and we couldn't have hoped for better," he said.
"We will take a lot of positives out of the game and it's a good start to a big week for us."
Listen: Pellegrini has 'never given the kids a chance'
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Its difficult not to hate what football has become.
And please BBC stop putting peoples "tweets" in your "news" articles i cant be the only person it annoys.
How does the FA restore the Cup to its rightful place.
1. Double or triple prize money, which would soon pay as the competition became more popular and TV revenues increase.
2. Allocate a CL place to the winner and a Europa L place to the runner up, more revenue to the finalists.
Will the FA do anything, I doubt it. They are more likely to kill it.
He's the boss, stop interfering
And that's coming from someone who's not a City fan
The fact that BBC1 chose it as their first-pick match and hyped it up but then ended up with Chelsea vs Man City u21s is probably what's driving this agenda. England needs sides in the UCL quarterfinals due to our falling coefficient and potential loss of the fourth UCL spot.
Even if they fielded their strongest tram against Chelsea who's to say that the same team couldn't have still played well agains DK?
Saying that though - Chelsea probably would have still won that game. It's all they have to play for now so were well up for it.
City still look frail to me. Top, top sides don't take hammerings on their bad days, they eek out draws.
And yet he used 22 different outfield players and a different keeper. Something doesn't add up. Pel said he wouldn't buy a ticket for Chelsea game, unfortunately this was said too late for those who did, and had paid for travel & accommodation. The fans get shafted once again.
There was no need for the Chelsea/City tie to be played on Sunday evening. CFC played PSG on Tuesday so had enough time to recover for a Saturday game, and didn't have to contend with a travel nightmare to Kiev and back.
This game could have been played on Sat lunchtime and would have given City less ammo to field a weakened team.
Arsenal fan
I guess thats what you get from a manager with no motivation to go the extra mile.