We’re better than the press give us credit for, cribs Manuel Pellegrini

Rough translation - I told you so

Two points from four games and only matches against Bayern Munich (home) and Roma (away) to go - Manchester City looked dead and buried on November 5. Just over a month later and the club has qualified for the knock-out stages of the Champions League for the second season in succession. Samir Nasri, who scored City's first, declared the recent results as a miracle after the game and joked that the team 'like to do things the hard way'. City boss Manuel Pellegrini was still high on his side's 2-0 win over Roma, at Stadio Olimpico, when he reflected on his team's great escape. Pellegrini told the City website, 'Before the game, I spoke with the players and I told them I thought we played the worst game of the season against Roma in Manchester. 'Tonight though, I had a lot of trust in what we could do. We were sure that, by playing the way we have been in the last few weeks, we could win and we did.' The Chilean is pleased that his troops have struck a rich vein of form in recent weeks despite picking up injuries and suspensions to key players such as Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva. He added, 'This team deserves more credit than the press give. 'We are not just about Sergio. Although he is not playing, the team have qualified to the last 16, playing the same way we do in the Premier League.'