April 12, 2o16 10:19pm
Kevin de Bruyne sent Manchester City into the Champions League semifinals for the first time Tuesday, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain to build on a 2-2 draw from the first leg.
PSG’s fourth successive exit in the quarterfinals leaves the Qatari-owned club still chasing a much sought-after European Cup. Instead, City is celebrating another landmark in the club’s transformation in the eight years since itself coming under Middle Eastern ownership — from Abu Dhabi.
The 3-2 aggregate wins ensures Manuel Pellegrini, who reached the semifinals as Villarreal coach 10 years ago, can still turn City into European champions before handing over power to Pep Guardiola in May.
This was a night when rival strikers both misfired. PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had two free kicks saved and a goal disallowed for offside, while Sergio Aguero missed a penalty for City in the first half.
Instead, De Bruyne eased City’s passage into the last four by scoring in the 76th minute. After one touch to take the ball past Edinson Cavani, De Bruyne curled a shot through a crowded penalty area that took a slight deflection before landing into the bottom corner of the net.
The energetic midfielder was discarded by Chelsea in 2014 but City signed him from Wolfsburg last year.
De Bruyne is proving that was a shrewd move, scoring three goals in four games since returning from a two-month lay-off — including one in the first leg last week — as City has enjoyed an upturn in fortunes.
Source: TSN
