Yaya Toure's last minute goal eased the pressure on Manchester City heading into their last-16 second leg tie with Dynamo Kyiv, as they ran out 3-1 winners this evening in Kiev.
The Premier League side didn't have it all their own way, however, and were made to work hard in the second half to secure the victory.
Early signs showed they would dominate the game; Yaya Toure's physical presence in midfield ensured that City kept the ball and Fernando's ability to break up opposition attacks meant that Kyiv rarely made it out of their own half.
Joe Hart survived an early scare, Andriy Yarmolenko's cross was tipped onto the top of the bar and behind for a corner kick.
It was a corner up the other end, however, that would produce the first goal of the game.
After some sustained pressure from City, David Silva whipped in an out-swinging cross which was nodded down by Toure. Sergio Aguero was alive to the situation as the ball fell to his feet and he drilled the ball past a helpless Olexandr Shovkovskiy.
Aguero opens the scoring after just 15 minutes. Image: Sergei Chuzavkov / AP/Press Association Images
The early goal knocked the wind out of Kyiv and Manuel Pelligrini's side looked to capitalise on their momentum.
Aguero had two good chances after this to double their advantage, but each time from a tight angle he drilled the ball wide.
The Ukranian champions did enjoy some possession, but produced very little and when they were hit on the counter attack at the end of a period of prolonged pressure, they had Shovkovskiy to thank for a terrific stop to deny Toure.
Five minutes before the break, the game looked to be dead in the water. An incisive breakaway featured Aguero expertly controlling and collecting possession in the Kyiv half before offloading it to Raheem Sterling.
Sterling, who had been troublesome for the majority of the first half, drove to the byline and sent a low drive across the face of goal, which Silva duly slotted home.
The sides went in at the break and there was a sense of inevitability about the result.
After the restart Lukasz Teodorczyk made way Junior Moraes, in an attempt to freshen up their attacking options and bring the influential Yarmolenko back into the game.
It worked for the first six or seven minutes as City's rearguard began to creak. Sagna and Clichy looked shaky under pressure at full-back and even the stabilising presence of fit-again Vincent Kompany couldn't prevent the home sides revival.
Nicolas Otamendi did well to head clear a dangerous cross into the box, but it only fell as far as Vitaly Buyalsky, who's vicious effort deflected off Otamendi and past Joe Hart.
Vitaly Buyalsky grabbed Dynamo Kyiv's only goal of the game just en minutes after the restart. Image: Sergei Chuzavkov / AP/Press Association Images
To the credit of the Ukranains, goal had been coming and with the ripple of the net, nerves began to jangle once again.
Yarmalenko skipped past Clichy but couldn't pick out Vitaly Buyalsky in the box, instead his tame across was gratefully collected by Hart.
The England number one, who has come under increased pressure from compatriot Jack Butland for the national jersey, was then drawn into an excellent stop.
After some relentless pressure from the English club, they tore down the right wing and Miguel Veloso, getting on Clichy’s wrong side, played the ball into the path of Buyalsky who's defected effort was smartly turned behind by the City stopper.
The Premier League side began to run down the clock and in the final minute Toure found a yard of space after some neat inter-play with Fernandinho and curled his effort into the top corner of the net.
City bring three away goals and a two goal advantage back to the Eithad and Pelligrini can breathe a sigh of relief his team got through the game unscathed ahead of their Capital One Cup final with Liverpool on Sunday.
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