Roberto Mancini paid tribute to Edin Dzeko after his brace set Manchester City on course for the Europa League’s last 16.<\/p>\n
Dzeko struck twice in a blistering start by the Blues before a deflected Yaya Toure strike sealed a comfortable 3-0 win over Aris Salonika.<\/p>\n
After drawing 0-0 in Greece in the first leg, it meant for an easy passage into the next round to face Dynamo Kiev.<\/p>\n
Since his big-money move from Wolfsburg last month Dzeko had scored just two goals in his first eight games for City – both in the FA Cup against League One Notts County.<\/p>\n
But the Bosnian striker, 24, began to live up to his \u00a327million price-tag as he produced two well-taken strikes inside the opening 12 minutes.<\/p>\n
“Edin played well, he scored two goals, and for him it’s very important,” Mancini told ESPN.<\/p>\n
“It was important that we started very well in the game. The first half-an-hour, 40 minutes we played very well, scored two goals and had other chances to score.”
Mouth-watering<\/p>\n
Dzeko, Mario Balotelli and top-scorer Carlos Tevez started together for the first time in a mouth-watering forward line that blew Aris away early on.<\/p>\n
And although the visitors never looked like mounting a fightback, Mancini insists victory was not assured until the third goal in the 75th minute.<\/p>\n
“In the first half they played very well but second half, when we were so tired, I think that we had some problems with the balance,” added the Blues boss.<\/p>\n
“It was the first time so they need to play (together) again.<\/p>\n
“After the Toure goal we could relax but before, no. In football you can never say never.<\/p>\n
“If they scored one goal they would have opened the game.”<\/p>\n
It was City’s seventh straight home win but Mancini is refusing to look too far ahead despite the Blues’ next three games also being at Eastlands, including the FA Cup fifth-round tie with Aston Villa.<\/p>\n
“On Sunday we play Fulham and at the moment Fulham are playing very well,” he added.<\/p>\n
“A big problem is that we have four or five important players injured and I hope we can recover two players for the next game. But I think we must take one game at a time.”<\/p>\n
City then travel to Kiev on March 10 and Mancini is expecting a tough test.<\/p>\n
“I have played against them a lot of times, they are a big team, one of the best in Ukraine,” he said.<\/p>\n
“They always play in the Champions League and have lots of experience so it will be a very difficult game.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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