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Manchester City players celebrate after Spanish midfielder David Silva scores against Dynamo Kiev. Citizens captain Vincent Kompany was pleased with his team’s performance. Photo: AFP
Manchester City may be toiling domestically at the moment but they produced a superb European away performance to beat Dynamo Kiev 3-1 in Ukraine in their Champions League last 16, first leg on Wednesday.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side did enough to win the game in the first half with Sergio Aguero and David Silva both scoring to underline their importance to City.
Dynamo pulled a goal back in the second half through midfielder Vitaliy Buyalskiy, but Yaya Toure’s late beauty ensured that City are very much on course to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
“It was an exceptional result away from home. We couldn’t have hoped for better,” City captain Vincent Kompany told BT Sport.
City’s Nicolas Otamendi snuffs out a Kiev attack. Photo: EPA
“The performance was good and 3-1 is a good result. We’re happy with it, we just don’t want to get carried away with it.
“We could have scored many more goals. It was a Man City performance that we’d like to see more often.”
They have been eliminated by Barcelona at this stage in each of the last two seasons but this was a far kinder draw for City against opponents who were playing their first competitive match since December due to the Ukrainian winter break.
“We made lots of mistakes in the middle of the pitch and with this team of Manchester City it’s not acceptable,” said Dynamo coach Sergiy Rebrov, who denied the long period without a competitive game had been a factor.
Silva nets his second Champions League goal for City this season. Photo: AFP
Pellegrini, meanwhile, had complained of not having enough time to prepare his team for this encounter.
He named a fringe side containing numerous untested youngsters for Sunday’s 5-1 FA Cup fifth-round defeat to Chelsea but his starting XI in the Olympic Stadium was back to full strength, with Fernando the only player to keep his place.
With Joe Hart, Kompany, Toure, Silva and Aguero in the side, City are a different proposition and, after three consecutive defeats, they looked in the mood here.
There was an early fright when an Andriy Yarmolenko cross was parried by Hart only for the ball to drop down onto the bar, but the visitors played with a degree of hunger and intensity not seen in recent weeks.
Fernandinho challenges for the ball during City’s Champions league win over Dynamo Kiev. Photo: AFP
They were rewarded with the opening goal a quarter of an hour in, as a Silva corner from the left was headed down by Toure for Aguero, who controlled before lashing in his 19th goal of the season.
Dynamo had held Premier League opponents in Chelsea to a goalless draw at home in the group stage and beat Everton 5-2 in last season’s Europa League, but they struggled to handle City and Aguero fired narrowly wide midway through the first half.
With his midfield being overrun, Rebrov chose to remove Denys Garmash and send on Miguel Veloso just after the half-hour mark, but still City came and Toure forced a save from veteran goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy before the second goal arrived five minutes from half-time.
It was a superb goal too, as Aguero laid the ball off for Raheem Sterling and his low cross to the back post was turned into the net by Silva.
City boss Manuel Pellegrini can afford a smile after a difficult couple of weeks at the Etihad. Photo: EPA
With club legend Andriy Shevchenko watching from the stands, Dynamo rallied at the start of the second half and were given hope when they cut the deficit just before the hour mark.
Nicolas Otamendi headed out a Domagoj Vida cross but Buyalskiy met the falling ball first time from 20 yards and his shot deflected into the net off the Argentine defender.
City then had Hart to thank for keeping their lead intact as he produced a strong hand low down to his right to turn away another Buyalskiy shot following a Veloso pass, but City remained a danger on the break at the other end.
Toure somehow headed a Sterling cross wide when unmarked six yards out but he more than made up for that with a vintage goal to make it 3-1 in the 90th minute.
The Ivorian exchanged passes with Fernandinho before curling home with his left foot from 18 yards into the far corner.
Guardiola snaps at suggestion Bayern faded in Juve draw
24 February 2016
Pep Guardiola snapped at suggestions a lack of fitness caused Bayern Munich to wilt against Juventus, claiming: "I don't give a f*** for the physical condition."
Bayern produced a masterful away performance for the first hour in Turin on Tuesday, easing into a 2-0 lead courtesy of Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben.
It appeared at that point next month's second leg of the Champions League round-of-16 tie at the Allianz Arena was going to be little more than a formality, but Juve battled back to draw 2-2 thanks to goals from Paulo Dybala and Stefano Sturaro.
However, Guardiola insisted the surrender of such an advantage was nothing to do with the perceived frailty of his squad, which has struggled with injuries this season.
"I know that in Italy you are all about physical condition, but I don't give a f*** about the physical condition. It's the mental condition that I care about."
Guardiola went on to express his pride at how Bayern performed at the home of the Serie A champions, who have been in stunning form in recent months.
"I didn't expect to come here and … Juve not to shoot on target, or that we would play 90 fantastic minutes.
"They have players like [Mario] Mandzukic, [Paul] Pogba and [Leonardo] Bonucci, one of my all-time favourite players. And we showed character.
"We could have won the game. We have a team with many youngsters. We will learn from this. Don't forget it was Juventus.
"We played a great team, the finalists in the Champions League last year. We did not play a team from the provinces. They have won four titles in Italy. Last year, they went further than us.
"I am very happy with how I did. It is probably the evening that I am the most pleased as coach in my career."
Hiddink warns against 'exclusivity' of potential European Super League
By Nicholas McGee
Mar 4, 2016 16:49:55
The experienced Dutchman says every team has the right to be recognised for their achievements and is against the proposal of pre-allocated European spots for big clubs
Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has warned against the exclusivity of a potential European Super League at a time when leaders Leicester City have emerged as unlikely favourites to win the Premier League.
A report by The Sun claimed executives from Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United held talks around establishing a European Super League at discussions hosted by American billionaire Stephen Ross' company Relevent Sports on Tuesday.
In Hiddink's Friday media conference ahead of Chelsea's meeting with Stoke City on Saturday, a club media official clarified the meeting was predominantly about the pre-season International Champions Cup, which is operated by Relevent Sports.
But prior to the press officer's intervention, Hiddink said: "I think we must all be careful to go into exclusivity when teams like Leicester are mixing in.
"They have the full right to be recognised, they are next contestants for next year's Champions League."
Asked if the Premier League's elite clubs have been startled by Leicester's rise to the top of the table and the impressive performances of Tottenham and West Ham, Hiddink replied: "I hope so.
"That's real sport. What sport is all about - lower clubs knocking on the door.
Real Madrid v Roma Preview: Pjanic seeking perfection to turn tie around
By Matthew Scott
Mar 6, 2016 12:10:39
Real Madrid's ominous home record will provide fearful reading for Roma ahead of their Champions League last-16 second leg
Miralem Pjanic has ambitiously called for Roma to produce the "perfect" performance as they look to overturn a 2-0 deficit to Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League.
In-form Roma have won seven straight Serie A games, their only defeat since late January coming in this tie's first leg on home soil.
The Serie A side now face a daunting trip to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, where Madrid have won 28 of their last 33 Champions League games and have not suffered defeat by two clear goals since a 2-0 reverse to Barcelona in the 2010-11 semi-finals.
Regardless, Pjanic remains bullish over Roma's chances, his confidence boosted by the capital club's significant upturn in form since Luciano Spalletti replaced Rudi Garcia in the Roma dugout.
"This is the true Roma," midfielder Pjanic told Roma Radio. "We will go to Madrid and try to put in a perfect performance.
"We know that it will be difficult but we will do our best nonetheless. Obviously we tried to score at least one goal during the first leg, although things were complicated and we will now try to complete a perfect match and hurt them whenever we can.
"I am feeling great along with the rest of the team. I like playing like this but that is obvious.
"Physically we are all fine and everyone knows what they must do on the field. We always have a team-mate free to which we can pass the ball and this demonstrates our confidence on the field."
Madrid come into the contest in ominous form of their own, responding to last weekend's derby defeat to Atletico Madrid by beating Levante 3-1 in midweek and then thrashing Celta Vigo 7-1 at the Bernabeu.
Cristiano Ronaldo - who opened the scoring in the first leg in Rome - netted four times against the Galician side, moving to second on the all-time Liga scoring charts, behind only great rival Lionel Messi.
With Karim Benzema still injured, the attacking burden will once again fall on the Portugal captain, although Gareth Bale returned from a calf injury with a goal from the bench against Celta and may get a start in continental action.
Midfield general Daniele De Rossi misses out for Roma, while Radja Nainggolan and Antonio Rudiger trained alone over the weekend and face late fitness checks.
Wolfsburg vs. Gent: Casteels calls for attacking display
By Tom Webber
Mar 7, 2016 3:53:10 AM
Koen Casteels is urging Wolfsburg not to underestimate Gent and to attack in order to secure progression in the Champions League.
Wolfsburg must attack Gent in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, despite heading into Tuesday's match at the Volkswagen Arena with a 3-2 lead, says Koen Casteels.
Dieter Hecking's side surged three goals ahead in the opening encounter at the Ghelamco Arena on February 17 and looked set for a simple route into the quarterfinals when Max Kruse added to Julian Draxler's double in the 60th minute.
But the Bundesliga side failed to hold onto its advantage, conceding goals to Sven Kums and Kalifa Coulibaly in the final 10 minutes to set up a tense return match.
Casteels was in goal for Wolfsburg and looks set to be so once more on Tuesday, with Diego Benaglio missing its last six matches due to a rib injury.
The Belgian believes Gent's late showing proves the side must not be underestimated, urging an attacking display to ensure progression.
"We must approach this one as a completely new game. We can't just afford to defend our advantage, but rather play attacking football and get at least one goal," said Casteels. "In Gent we saw that they can play football and that we should not underestimate them. They will be doing all in their power to turn the tie around and progress to the next round."
Wolfsburg head into the game on the back of a 2-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Josuha Guilavogui believes the triumph will hold Hecking's side in good stead as it looks to secure a place in the last eight for the first time in its history.
"[Winning] against a team like Borussia Monchengladbach, who are one of the best sides in the Bundesliga, then that is very important for our self-confidence ahead of Tuesday night's game," he said. "It's quite simple: we have to win the game in order to take our quarterfinal place. We will do everything necessary to ensure that's the case."
Wolfsburg has suffered one defeat at home in the Champions League - a 3-1 loss to Manchester United in 2009 - but Gent, enjoying an impressive debut campaign, picked up a 2-1 win away at Lyon in the group stage.
Furthermore, the Belgian champion has been victorious in both of its two previous visits to Germany – overcoming Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 in the 1991-92 UEFA Cup and Werder Bremen 3-2 in the 2001 Intertoto Cup.
However, with just one win from three matches since its first-leg defeat - a run which includes a crushing 5-2 loss at KV Oostende - the team's confidence may be knocked.
Wolfsburg remains without Bas Dost (foot), Sebastian Jung (knee) and Paul Seguin (ankle). Gent will be unable to call upon Thomas Matton (foot), while Brecht Dejaegere, Lasse Nielsen (both hamstring) and Danijel Milicevic (ankle) are doubts.
Key Opta stats:
- Wolfsburg has won its last three Champions League games, its best ever run in the competition.
- Gent's last six Champions League games have all been decided by a one-goal margin (W3 L3).
- Gent has so far scored in each and every single Champions League game this season (7 games).
- Only one of Wolfsburg's 13 games in the Champions League has ended in a draw, that was against Besiktas in October 2009 (0-0).
- Gent's Kalifa Coulibaly has scored two goals in his last three Champions League appearances, all as substitute.
Chelsea v Paris Saint-Germain: Verratti puts PSG on war footing for Costa
7 March 2016 15:01
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti has warned his team-mates to be on their guard for Diego Costa's "warfare" when they visit Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
For the third season in succession, the reigning Ligue 1 and Premier League champions have been paired together in the knockout rounds, with each side claiming a slender away goals aggregate triumph apiece so far.
Similarly, the latest tie is finely poised - PSG holding a 2-1 advantage thanks to goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani either side of John Obi Mikel's equaliser at the Parc des Princes.
Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink is set to recall Costa to lead the attack after the striker sat out Saturday's 1-1 Premier League draw against Stoke City due to a tendon problem.
Italy international Verratti professes admiration for Cesc Fabregas although he also admits a grudging respect for Costa's uncompromising playing style, through which on-field confrontations with opponents are seemingly inevitable.
"I prefer entertaining football, but having a personality like Costa in your team is always good," Verratti told the Guardian.
"He uses warfare to win the games, but I know him, he's a good guy who transforms when he comes on the pitch.
"If I was to pick a player that I identify with in this Chelsea team it would be Cesc Fabregas. He makes you see what the game is about, he breathes football and you can tell by his way of playing how much he loves it."
Verratti was not overly satisfied with PSG's performance in the opening leg and is keen to avoid the "disaster" of elimination at Stamford Bridge.
"We confirmed we are a good team, but there are things we could have done better," he said. "We could have put Chelsea in more trouble. We have to go to London and play our football, if we do anything else we'll be in trouble.
"We need to keep the possession of the ball, attack and go for an early goal. These are the games that we wait for all season. Being eliminated in the Champions League would be a bit of a disaster."
Verratti hopes to shake off lingering issues with a groin complaint to face Chelsea, with fellow midfielder Blaise Matuidi battling to overcome a thigh injury after Angel Di Maria returned to action for Saturday's goalless draw against Montpellier.
Willian has starred for Chelsea in this season's competition with five goals in seven appearances.
The Brazil winger was one of few players to emerge with any credit from Chelsea's woeful start to their Premier League defence and, following a collective upturn since Hiddink replaced Jose Mourinho, he wants to reward the veteran tactician with silverware.
"We always have pressure to win titles at Chelsea and we know that," he told the club's official website. "We have to stay concentrated on this game.
"I hope we can give Guus a title. It would be great for us and for him so we will try our best to do that."
Chelsea are set to be without captain John Terry once more, with the centre-back still troubled by a hamstring injury that has ruled him out of the past five matches. Former Barcelona winger Pedro could return from a similar complaint to boost Hiddink's attacking options.
Key Opta stats
- Chelsea are in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the 12th time in the last 13 seasons. They have gone on to the quarter-finals on eight of these occasions.
- PSG and Chelsea have two wins apiece and three draws from their eight Champions League encounters to date.
- Chelsea have scored in each of their last 22 Champions League home matches, with their previous failure to find the net coming during a 1-0 loss to Manchester United in April 2011.
- PSG have failed to score in five of their six away games against English clubs in European competitions, with last season's second leg at Stamford Bridge standing as the only exception.
- Diego Costa has only scored once in his past 15 Champions League games, against Maccabi Tel Aviv last September.
Zenit v Benfica: Villas-Boas confident of making history
7 March 2016 16:54
Andre Villas-Boas is optimistic that Zenit can overturn their 1-0 first-leg deficit against Benfica and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history.
This season is the third time in five years that the Russian champions have reached the knockout stages, but their previous visits have ended in disappointment, including when they were beaten by Benfica over two legs in 2012.
This is the first time the Portuguese title holders have reached the knockout stages since that season, when they went on to be beaten by eventual winners Chelsea in the last eight.
The first leg of this tie saw Benfica claim the advantage in a dramatic finish, with Jonas netting in the last minute and Domenico Criscito receiving a red card in a game that was seconds away from finishing goalless.
Villas-Boas, though, is confident that home advantage will be a decisive factor which will allow Zenit to progress.
"In the return leg at we have such an advantage with our fans," said Villas-Boas.
"I am sure it will be a full stadium and they will create the atmosphere that will help the team to a new level.
"We are confident that we can score the necessary goals. The quarter-finals of the Champions League is our dream - it will be a major event for Russian football. And of course, this special emotion will help us on Wednesday."
Zenit do have some reason to be optimistic – they have won all three of their Champions League home games this season and are unbeaten in seven games at home to Portuguese sides, while Benfica have lost four of their last five away clashes in the knockout rounds.
They do go into the second leg with just one win in three matches in 2016, though, after drawing 0-0 with Krasnodar in the league on Saturday and they sit nine points behind leaders CSKA Moscow in fifth position.
Benfica, meanwhile, have won 11 of their last 12 league games and defeated title rivals Sporting CP 1-0 away at the weekend to go top of the table, but first-leg hero and top scorer Jonas knows there is no margin for error in Europe.
"Now it's kill or be killed," the forward told UEFA. "It's different from playing six matches in the group stage - it's only two games and you can't let your guard down because that can cost you qualification. You need to double your focus.
"Everyone knows the Champions League's financial factor is important for the club and also the profile the competition gives you. The goal we set at the start of the season was to get through the group stage and then take it match by match. We have reached our target and now we have to continue."
Javi Garcia and Criscito are suspended for the hosts, while Andre Almeida and Jardel are serving bans for Benfica. The vistiors are also without Julio Cesar (thigh) and Luisao (arm) as Zenit manage without Viktor Faizulin (knee).
The last time the two teams met in Russia saw Zenit win 1-0 in the 2014-15 group stage, a result that would send the tie to extra-time if repeated.
Key Opta stats:
- Zenit and Benfica have picked up the most cards in the Champions League this season: 24 and 23 respectively. The first-leg produced six yellow cards and a red card.
- Zenit's Artem Dzyuba has scored or assisted 61.5 per cent of his team’s goals in the Champions League this season (eight out of 13).
- Hulk’s next Champions League game will be his 50th in the competition. He has scored three goals and delivered four assists in six games this season.
Dieter Hecking has called on Wolfsburg to be alive to the threat of a Champions League upset in the second leg of their last-16 tie against Gent.
Hecking's side appeared to be cruising through to the quarter-finals when they stormed into a 3-0 lead in Belgium three weeks ago - Julian Draxler netting a brace before Max Kruse grabbed the third with an hour played.
But Sven Kums and Kalifa Coulibaly struck in the final 10 minutes to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
Three away goals mean Wolfsburg remain strong favourites to secure a place in the final eight on Tuesday, but Hecking does not want his men assume the job is done.
"We can't afford to rest upon the result from the first-leg," he told a pre-match news conference. "We need to be wide awake from the outset.
"Our initial situation is good, but we are not through yet. We need a good performance."
"The tension rises now and the team will be well prepared. Freshness could be a decisive factor."
Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels is a product of Gent's youth system and saidTuesday's match will be a "special" occasion for him.
"It's special to play against people from your home country, especially in the Champions League. This does not happen many times, but I don't mind. We want to win and go through to the next round," he explained.
"We are in the Champions League to achieve something special by reaching the quarter-finals. We want to achieve as a team."
Chelsea captain John Terry is set to miss the Champions League last-16 second leg with Paris Saint-Germain, Guus Hiddink has confirmed.
A hamstring problem has kept the centre-back out of Chelsea's last three Premier League games and he was also forced to sit out the 2-1 defeat in Paris last month.
Hiddink does not expect the 35-year-old to be fit enough to return when the Ligue 1 leaders visit Stamford Bridge on Wednesday as he is concerned about his ability to last a full competitive game.
"I don't think John will make it on Wednesday. For the time being, there has not been enough development to put him on the list," he said.
"It's not worse – he trained and had treatment on Saturday morning, and he can run, but he cannot go into a longer stretch where you have to accelerate. There he has to be careful.
"When he is ready to do so, maybe on Tuesday, he will play in a practice match, but I don't think he will make it. Hopefully, let's see what can be done for next weekend."
Hiddink has called on the home supporters to offer a more intimidating atmosphere than they created for the 1-1 draw with Stoke City on Saturday as they look to reach the Champions League last eight.
"We had to get our own players angry, to wind them up, and some of them needed a wake-up call," he said.
"I don't have any fear about waking them up for big games – they will be there. We are underdogs, but let's be very tough underdogs."
Rudiger to miss Roma's Champions League trip to Real Madrid
By Sacha Pisani
Mar 7, 2016 08:51:04
The 23-year-old defender suffered a thigh injury which will keep him out of Tuesday's Champions League encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Daniele De Rossi also missing out
Roma will be without Antonio Rudiger for Tuesday's Champions League last 16 return leg at Real Madrid after the defender suffered a thigh injury.
Rudiger is set for a two-week stint on the sidelines after scans revealed a minor strain to his right thigh, ruling him out of the trip to Madrid, with Roma trailing 2-0.
The 23-year-old Germany international was hurt in Roma's 4-1 rout of Fiorentina in the Serie A on Friday.
Rudiger - on a season-long loan from German side Stuttgart - has made more than 25 appearances for Roma in all competitions this season, including the 2-0 loss at home to Madrid on February 17.
Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi will also miss the clash in the Spanish capital.
Zinedine Zidane has warned Real Madrid they cannot afford to take anything for granted despite holding a 2-0 lead over Roma heading into the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Jese Rodriguez scored second-half goals at the Stadio Olimpico to put the Spanish side on course to reach the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition.
However, Roma have won three Serie A games on the spin since being beaten by Madrid - scoring 12 goals in the process - and Zidane acknowledges the Italians are "very strong" opponents ahead of Tuesday's fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"They're a very good team, but I'm more concerned with my own team," the Frenchman said at a pre-match media conference.
"I know it'll be difficult, they're very strong. We have to concentrate on this match, all games are there to be played.
"I keep repeating that, because that's the way it is. If we don't play well we could lose and be eliminated, that's clear.
"We're focused and we're preparing in the best way. It's the most important match for us, because it's the next one."
While Madrid put seven goals past Celta Vigo in domestic action on Saturday, they still sit 12 points behind leaders Barcelona in La Liga.
As they are already out of the Copa del Rey, the Champions League - a competition Zidane won as a player during his time at the Spanish club - is their most realistic chance of a trophy this season.
"When you start your career in coaching it's to play matches like tomorrow. I've already had these emotions as a player, it's an indescribable feeling," Zidane added.
"What we have to do is to win, we can only think about tomorrow's game. Many people will think it'll be easy, but that's not the case."
Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc has backed his side to pull off a repeat of last season's Champions League last-16 triumph over Chelsea when they visit Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
The French champions hold a 2-1 advantage from the first leg in Paris, placing them in a stronger position than in 2015, when they were tied at 1-1 heading to London.
PSG overcame an early red card for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to progress with a 2-2 draw after extra time in the second leg and Blanc is confident of reaching the quarter-finals once again.
"Each football match has its history," he told a news conference. "It is unclear what will happen Wednesday.
"We will try to do what it takes to qualify, as will Chelsea. But I think it will be a more difficult game than last year for various reasons.
"But if we did it last season, we can do it again.
"We have an advantage in the result, which is important. We will try to impose our game. It will be a great challenge for PSG. We know our intentions and we will try to put it into practice. We need to have the right mental approach"
Blanc conceded he will have to make a late call on the fitness of Marco Verratti, who has a groin problem and was reportedly forced to pull out of training early on Tuesday.
And the French coach has warned his squad not to respond to the kind of provocation dished out by the likes of Diego Costa as he aims to avoid going a man down for a second time in as many trips to Stamford Bridge.
"Costa, there are two aspects, the player and the man," he added. "This is a very good player, a striker who scores goals, always moving. I like him.
"After that we know the man - he loves contact, the duels. It's part of the game.
"We saw last year, he played like that. I tell my players not to respond to it, to be very cold compared to that.
"We have to stay as 11. We must not respond to provocation. We paid for it last year."
Chelsea captain John Terry has confirmed he will miss Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second-leg match against Paris Saint-Germain with a hamstring problem.
Terry was not expected to feature after manager Guus Hiddink said on Sunday: "I don't think John will make it on Wednesday. For the time being, there has not been enough development to put him on the list."
And the defender has now revealed he will be unable to help his team turn around a 2-1 deficit from the first leg when PSG visit Stamford Bridge this week.
"I'm gutted to be missing the PSG game," he wrote in an Instagram post. "It's so frustrating missing any game, but these big Champions League nights at the Bridge are unbelievable and it hurts as a player not to be involved.
"I have thrown everything at my injury trying to get back fit but sometimes you have to let the injury settle, and thankfully I'm on the mend and hope to be back soon."
The injury has kept Terry out of Chelsea's last three Premier League games and he was also forced to sit out the defeat in Paris last month.
If Chelsea fail to progress, Terry – whose contract is due to expire at the end of the season with his future still in doubt – may have played his last Champions League tie for the club.
Atletico Madrid v PSV: Saul confident of quarter-final berth
13 March 2016
Atletico Madrid are full of confidence heading into their Champions League last-16 second leg against PSV at the Vicente Calderon on Tuesday, according to Saul Niguez.
The first encounter in Eindhoven ended goalless and saw the hosts lose Gaston Pereiro to a second yellow card midway through the second half, setting up a finely poised clash in Madrid.
Since then, Diego Simeone's side have won four successive matches – the latest of which came in a 3-0 victory over Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.
Saul's powerful header opened the scoring and was added to by Antoine Griezmann – converting for the fourth consecutive game – and Angel Correa seven minutes from time.
The midfielder thinks the victory has primed Atletico to book a place in the quarter-finals at PSV's expense.
"The team has done a great job and achieved great results. Looking ahead to Tuesday, it gives us a boost," said Saul.
"We kept going until the end and the [late] goal gave us serenity. It was one of the best matches, very complete, without conceding a goal.
"I think we played very well and after these three points we go into that key match very confident of winning."
Atletico prevailed on PSV's only previous visit to the Vicente Calderon - a 2-1 triumph in the group stage of the 2008-09 Champions League – but have lost all four two-legged ties they have contested with Dutch opponents in European competition.
PSV are still seeking a first victory in Spain after 12 failed attempts and head into the match having extended their unbeaten run in the Eredivisie to 21 matches in a 1-1 draw against Heerenveen on Saturday.
Tuesday signals the start of what could be a pivotal period in the season for Phillip Cocu's team, with a top-of-the-table clash against Ajax - who missed the chance to overtake PSV at the summit with a 2-2 draw against NEC Nijmegen on Sunday - and a trip to third-placed AZ following Tuesday's meeting with Atletico.
Goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet's heroics kept the Dutch side in the first leg, and they will be looking for another big performance from him if they are to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2006-07.
Stefan Savic (thigh) and Tiago (leg) are out for Atletico, while Fernando Torres (knee) is a doubt having sat out the victory over Deportivo at the weekend.
Cocu is able to select prolific striker Luuk de Jong, who returns having served a suspension in the first leg, but, along with Pereiro's ban, there are concerns over the fitness of Andres Guardado (hamstring) and Maxime Lestienne (calf).
Key Opta Stats:
- Atletico Madrid are in the knockout stages of the Champions League for the third consecutive season, a first in their history.
- PSV have lost nine of their last 12 Champions League away games (W1 D2).
- Atletico Madrid have kept 12 clean sheets in their last 16 Champions League games. At the Vicente Calderon, Diego Simeone's men have kept a clean sheet in 11 of their last 13 Champions League matches.
- PSV have never scored more than two goals in their last 37 Champions League games. The last time they did was in the 2005 semi-final second leg against AC Milan (3-1).
- PSV’s Jeroen Zoet has made more saves than any other goalkeeper among the teams left in this season's Champions League (26).
Manchester City v Dynamo Kiev: Fernandinho urges team-mates to grasp opportunity
13 March 2016
Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho has urged his team-mates to grasp the opportunity of claiming a Champions League quarter-final place when they host Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday.
Manuel Pellegrini's men are strongly positioned to reach the last eight of the tournament for the first time following an impressive 3-1 first-leg triumph in the Ukrainian capital, where Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure were on target.
Fernandinho's midfield colleague Toure is a doubt for the match with a heel injury but, when set against the experience of nursing last-16 deficits before being knocked out by Barcelona in each of the past two seasons, the Brazil international knows Manuel Pellegrini's team have been dealt a favourable hand.
"Of course, this is the first time we have a chance to go forward to the quarter-finals," he told City's official website. "This is a big step for the club, for everyone here.
"This should give us more motivation to play very well on Tuesday."
In contrast to previous European campaigns, where City have struggled to match strong domestic performances, their best displays this term have arguably come on the Champions League stage – most notably in wins at Sevilla and last time out in Kiev.
Their bid to win a third Premier League win in five seasons has stalled badly alongside these highs, with Saturday's dispiriting 0-0 draw at struggling Norwich City leaving Fernandinho to concede that the Champions League represents a more realistic chance of further silverware this term for the League Cup winners.
"We will see what happens with other results but it is tough to drop points like we did," he said.
"We have nine [Premier League] games to play and even if you don't have chance to fight for the title, the most important thing now is to fight for the top four."
Kevin De Bruyne (knee) Samir Nasri (thigh/tendon) and Fabian Delph (Achilles) will all remain on the sidelines until after this month's international break, although Pellegrini should still be confident of seeing off opponents who have failed to win in 13 competitive visits to England – losing 11 of those matches.
Speaking after Friday's 2-1 Ukrainian Premier League win at Karpaty Lviv, a victory that helped send them three points clear at the top, Sergei Rebrov confirmed Mykola Morozyuk would remain on the sidelines for "a month or two" due to a "serious" knee injury.
Dynamo defender Yevhen Khacheridi is keen to at least restore some of the pride lost on home turf against City.
"We don't want to make same mistakes we had in Kiev. It will be difficult to win, but we'll try to do that," Khacheridi told Komanda.
Key Opta stats:
- Manchester City have only kept one clean sheet in their 17 Champions League home games - a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich in December 2011.
- City have scored six goals in the final 15 minutes of Champions League matches this season, more than any other side in the competition.
- Dynamo Kiev have won only four of their last 34 Champions League away games, with seven draws and 23 defeats during this period.
- Sergio Aguero has scored 16 goals in his previous 17 Champions League starts.
- City's five yellow cards in seven Champions League matches this season is the lowest total of any team in the competition.
PSV may be the underdogs against Atletico Madrid but coach Phillip Cocu feels the Dutch giants have a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League quarter-finals.
Cocu and Co. head to Madrid on Tuesday with the round-of-16 tie evenly poised following the goalless draw in Eindhoven last month.
Atletico have only lost one of their past 16 home matches in all competitions after seeing off Deportivo La Coruna 3-0 to consolidate second position in La Liga on Saturday.
However, Cocu is bullish over PSV's chances of booking a spot in the last eight.
"The great atmosphere in [Estadio Vicente Calderon] can give us a power boost. In this stage of European football, all the stadiums where you play will be impressive in talks of ambiance," Cocu told reporters.
"We want to silence the fans of Atletico with playing good football.
"We feel good after Ajax drew with NEC, but no we are not thinking about the Eredivisie because we have to concentrate on the Champions League. We have a good chance to reach the quarter-finals.
"Atletico are favourites because of their home advantage. It will be difficult, but it is not impossible to go through."
Atletico's most recent home defeat came against Celta Vigo, who triumphed 3-2 in the Copa del Rey on January 27.
Cocu, who will be without Uruguayan striker Gaston Pereiro after he was sent off in the first leg, added: "I have watched a lot of Atletico games, but we have our way of playing and we are going to fight for the objective in hand.
"It won't be easy, away from home, but we have to believe. That game [against Celta] is an example that it can be achieved."
Luis Enrique hails Wenger´s ´impossible´ 20-year Arsenal reign
15 March 2016
Barcelona boss Luis Enrique says Arsene Wenger's 20-year spell in charge of Arsenal would be "impossible" to replicate in modern football.
Wenger will reach two decades at the Gunners helm in August, though mounting pressure from supporters over results this season has cast doubt on his future at Emirates Stadium.
Luis Enrique, however, insists the Frenchman must be given the credit he is due for his work given the longevity he has enjoyed in north London.
"It's impossible in the modern era," he told the media on Tuesday. "It means Wenger is a very good coach and only the chosen ones can be at a club for such a long time. But, for me, it's impossible.
"There's always more competition, more coaches. That's why it's difficult to be in the same position in 20 years. That shows that Wenger has done a good job.
"Of course I enjoy myself, but it's 'enjoying' because you have the match, then the press conference, then you analyse - it's very intense."
Arsenal travel to Barcelona needing to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg to keep their Champions League campaign alive, but Luis Enrique is adamant that the tie is far from over.
"It's a very good result, but it's not going to change our approach, our preparation. It's still an open match, the opponent is dangerous and we need to play very well," he said.
"But we still have to be humble and improve the different aspects on the pitch. Sometimes the match looks perfect because of the result but there is always room for improvement. That's why football is so complex.
"We're not going to change, the objective is the same. We just want to be better than Arsenal tomorrow. If we can, that's perfect and we'll continue in the competition, otherwise we'll have to check our result.
"Any of the things we saw in the first leg, we were pressed and I'm sure they'll do that again. They're very direct. If we were on the other side we would be fighting for this.
"Quality players like [Theo] Walcott, Alexis [Sanchez], [Mesut] Ozil, any forwards who have quality - we have to solve that with good individuals and good covering.
"There is only one ball and we need to keep it as much as possible. I'm not saying it's easy but that's what we're doing and we've been doing it better than the opposition lately."
Manchester City playmaker David Silva is continuing to play through the pain of a persistent ankle problem.
Spain international Silva was restricted to one Premier League start in three months earlier in the campaign due to the complaint.
The 30-year-old has since struggled for consistency, mirroring City's badly faltering Premier League title bid.
Manuel Pellegrini's team have not won back-to-back league matches since October and passed up their latest opportunity to do so when they were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling Norwich City on Monday.
Pellegrini revealed Silva's condition is being constantly monitored by himself and the club's medical staff, but that the former Valencia man is always eager to play, despite discomfort.
"We are always talking with the doctor and David," Pellegrini said.
"He feels some pain in his ankle, but he says that he can play.
"But I don't want to focus that we could not score goals [against Norwich] because David has a problem in his ankle because last game we scored four against Aston Villa."
Silva was on the scoresheet when City beat Dynamo Kiev 3-1 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, making Pellegrini's men strong favourites to reach the quarter-finals for the first time when the teams meet in Manchester on Tuesday.
But, despite a nine-point deficit to Leicester City ahead of the Premier League leaders' match against Newcastle United, Pellegrini insists he will not prioritise his European bid over domestic fixtures.
"No, because it's not our mentality," he said. "We are not giving priority to one championship over another one. [They are] two different competitions.
"It's important to try to continue in Champions League, winning on Tuesday and arrive to the next stage, but that doesn't mean we are not going to continue fighting in the Premier League."
City's next Premier League match comes in Sunday's Manchester derby against United at the Etihad Stadium.
