Today the last two first stage matches of the Champions League will be played.
Manchester City will face Dynamo Kyiv away. The "Citizens" are considered favorites in this tie, but the Ukrainians are not likely to give up without a fight.
Man City's coach Manuel Pellegrini commented: "On Sunday we took a risk playing against Chelsea with young players only. Unfortunately, we were knocked out of the tournament, but we are ready to fight for the Premier League and Champions League trophies. The players see no problem in me leaving the club after the season. They understand that we have serious goals for this season and we must play well in every match.
I'm not thinking about the future, I'm focused on these matches. The most important thing for me is that the team in Ukraine gives everything they have. We understand that these are just the first matches, but we have to achieve a result that will improve our situation for the second leg."
41-year-old Dynamo goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovsky shared his memories: "Football in the Champions League has changed a lot since 1994, when I first appeared in the tournament. Now a goalkeeper is needed both in defense and attack. I remember our probably best performance in the Champions League, when we eliminated Real Madrid from the quarterfinals. We played as a real team, there was no one player who played just for himself. We felt each other and eventually reached the semifinals."
In the other match, the 2014 finalist Atletico Madrid will face PSV Eindhoven. Before the season, the Dutch side was not expected to reach the quarterfinals, but PSV managed to leave behind Man Utd and will now fight for a chance to go further.
Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin said: "We take this stage very seriously and have great respect for our opponent just for being here. PSV has a young team, which despite its youth always tries to control the game and use their speed.
We know that the first round of the quarterfinals is crucial. There are two legs ahead of us, but the style of play is already formed from the first match. We are ready for these matches, and in Madrid we will play based on the result achieved in the Netherlands."
PSV midfielder Davy Propper added: "We are looking forward to fantastic matches that do not happen every week. Before the tournament, our goal was to reach the quarterfinals, but now we want to go further. We will do everything to achieve a good result."
