Sell-out boost for City crunch

MANCHESTER City will hope a sell–out crowd can roar them to victory in their crunch Champions League clash with Paris St Germain.

City have sold the last of the 53,000 tickets they made available for tonight’s quarter–final second leg against the French champions, guaranteeing a club record European attendance for the eagerly–anticipated contest.

Last week’s thrilling 2–2 draw at the Parc des Princes prompted a surge in interest in the match after previously sluggish sales. Fan frustration at prices and supporters’ well–known apathy towards the competition and organisers UEFA were all factors in the slow uptake.

But now with City having a realistic chance of reaching the semi–finals for the first time, excitement has built and manager Manuel Pellegrini recognises the importance of having the fans on side.

The Chilean said: “We will have a full capacity here. The fans, for different reasons, have not been involved 100 per cent in this competition, but as we continue further they will. They know this is an important achievement for the club.”

Pellegrini was forced to give up on hopes of Vincent Kompany taking the field against PSG. The influential captain and defender has made steady progress in his recovery from the calf injury he suffered last month, but it seems the game has come too soon.

“Vincent Kompany is not 100 per cent,” Pellegrini conceded, despite allowing the Belgian to play a part in a training session made open to the media.

Playmaker David Silva is fit to return after being rested at the weekend with an ankle injury, while defender Nicolas Otamendi should overcome a twisted ankle.

Raheem Sterling remains on the sidelines and fellow attacking midfielder Samir Nasri is ineligible.