Former Manchester City players Shaun Wright-Phillips and Nedum Onuoha praised the Blues' team spirit and work ethic after City battled to a 0-0 draw with FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday.
City brushed the same opponents aside 5-0 six days before at the Etihad Stadium, but Tuesday's meeting at the famous Parken stadium was a very different game.
VAR controversy dominated the evening, with Rodri having a wonder-goal incorrectly ruled out for handball before Riyad Mahrez missed a penalty awarded for another soft handball. Sergio Gomez was rightly sent off on the half-an-hour mark following a VAR review, meaning City had to battle for an hour with 10 men.
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While it was by no means a vintage performance from Pep Guardiola's men, the draw proved enough to guarantee City's place in the last-16 after Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla drew 1-1.
Speaking on the latest City Matchday Live, Wright-Phillips and Onuoha highlighted the way City stuck at it and got a positive result despite testing circumstances.
"For me it was a great team performance away from home," Wright-Phillips said after the match. "The team knew what we were up against once we were down to 10 men, and they did the job and came away with a point."
Onuoha echoed those thoughts. "You’re playing in the Champions League, down to 10 men, away from home against a team with loads of energy but in fairness to City they controlled most of the game," said the former defender. "The clean sheet was another bonus given the difficulties that we had."
While City have secured their place in the next round, top spot in the group and the all-important seeding for the last-16 draw that comes with it is still up for grabs. City will travel to Dortmund in two weeks knowing a win will clinch it, but Onuoha warned it won't be easy.
"Whether we had qualified or not, going to Dortmund was always going to be a tough game over there at that stadium. Nothing really changes from that standpoint," he said.
"Pep has managed over there, and he understands what it is to play against them while Ilkay Gundogan has played there. It’s a big game and there is a bit more nuance to it as it could decide who finishes first or second and I’m sure City will want to finish first."
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