Manchester City can win the Champions League says Manuel Pellegrini after win over PSG

Kevin De Bruyne scored the only goal of the second leg as City advanced to the last four 3-2 on aggregate

Manchester City celebrate victory over PSG (Getty)

Manuel Pellegrini insisted Manchester City can win the Champions League after overcoming Paris Saint-Germain to reach the semi-finals for the first time.

Kevin De Bruyne’s 76th minute goal secured a 1-0 victory at the Etihad, earning City a 3-2 aggregate win, and booked the club’s place in Friday’s draw for the last four.

But despite the prospect of a draw which pits them against the likes of Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid, City manager Pellegrini claimed that his team should now approach the semi-finals believing that they can end the campaign as European champions.

“Of course, because I think it is one of the targets of this club to receive every year,” Pellegrini said. “We receive a lot of criticism for different reasons, but every year we are improving.

“I am sure the target of this club is to win the Champions League, but not by winning the Champions League will the project be finished. They want to continue improving every season.

"But I never understand the criticism we get. We beat Bayern Munich in my first season and lost against Barcelona in the round-of-16.

“In the second season, we didn't play well but beat Bayern Munich again and Roma, then we lost to Barca again. This season we won the group and now we beat PSG.

"I really don't understand the criticism or they don't understand Barcelona have better players.”

De Bruyne’s goal, after Sergio Aguero missed a first-half penalty, was crucial for City in that it left PSG needing two goals in the final stages to progress.

And Pellegrini insisted that De Bruyne’s strike was a deserved goal after City had dominated.

"Kevin de Bruyne is an important player for us,” Pellegrini said. “We deserved a goal before he scored. We dominated that game from the beginning until the end.

"I trust my team so much, the penalty miss from Aguero was not the best moment, but once again, this team demonstrated the character and personality of a big team.

"I am very satisfied, not only because we won the game and qualified for the semi-finals, but because we won in the style of play we want.

“We didn't want to draw 0-0, we showed from the start we wanted to beat PSG.”

Meanwhile, PSG coach Laurent Blanc hinted at a realisation that his job is now on the line after the French champions fell at the quarter-final hurdle for the fourth successive campaign.

“Sure, that is something we need to think about that but there are a lot more things we need to think about,” Blanc said. “We need to ask ourselves good questions and find answers as well.

“Some of the senior players are out of contract at the end of the season so we will have to look at that.

“We won’t do that now because we are so disappointed and angry because we really believed we could qualify.

“But of course I am responsible. I put the team together, selected it, the strategy we use.

“When we win, it is the players. When we lose, I take responsibility.

“Even though we made a few mistakes in the first match, we were still hopeful we could score tonight.

“We thought we would create plenty of chances. City surprised me more tonight. They were very solid, particularly in the middle of defence, but ultimately the buck stops with me.”