Rebrov: Kiev proved worthy of knockout spot

Dynamo Kiev proved worthy of their place in the Champions League knockout stages, despite suffering a last-16 exit at the hands of Manchester City on Tuesday, according to coach Sergiy Rebrov.

Kiev suffered a 3-1 defeat in the first-leg in Ukraine and a goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium signalled the end of their tournament.

Nevertheless, Rebrov was proud of the effort his players put in and felt they showed they deserved a place in the latter stages of the competition, having advanced ahead of Porto in the group stage.

“Unfortunately we lost our match in Kiev. The way the guys played, they have deserved to be in the Champions League knockout stages,” said Rebrov.

“It gave a good experience to our players. We should say thank you and look to the future with optimism and be stronger.”

The Kiev coach suggested the anxiety of playing away from home in the second leg may have been too much for his players to contend with in their bid to overturn the tie.

“We were trying to play compactly and to control the game as best we could. But especially in the first half we were not completely relaxed because they created some situations,” Rebrov added.

“We could have been sharper, but because we weren’t at home and with the fans of the opposition maybe there was some nervousness.

“It’s not easy to play against a team who can spend £250million, but we showed a good game.”