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Joe Hart on City's Champions League progression: 'It is where we should be'

Andrew Couldridge / Reuters

It was just over two weeks ago that Manchester City's Champions League hopes were hanging by a thread.

Manuel Pellegrini's side were sitting at the bottom of their group with only two points from their opening four fixtures in the competition, and on the agenda was a home match versus Bayern Munich as well as a visit to Roma.

Of course, what followed were two remarkable performances. First, a 3-2 win against the reigning Bundesliga champions on Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday, a 2-0 victory at the Stadio Olimpico that ensured City's progression to the knockout phase.

Few people could have foreseen such a turnaround, and following City's win at Roma, Joe Hart, who finally kept his first clean sheet of the Champions League, praised his side's ability to get their campaign back on track.

"Yeah it was about time we did," Hart stated when asked whether City had put together a coming of age performance, according to Jamie Jackson of The Guardian. "We can't get away from the fact we started the campaign poorly but we have come good at the right time when we needed to and we have won the game."

When asked if the match served as a defining European performance, Hart replied: "Yeah it was, but we need to build on it now. We got ourselves all the way through last time and we struggled against Barcelona so we have to look to go positive and see what we can do.

"It's where we want to be. As much as an achievement it is, it is where we should be. I think we can't get away from the fact we were poor to start with but we have come good at the right time and the boys are playing well."

Hart's performance was highlighted by a point-blank save on Jose Holebas that allowed City to maintain their 1-0 lead in the second half. However, the English 'keeper was in fine form throughout all of his 90 minutes on the pitch.

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