Manuel Pellegrini commented that Malaga always believed they could turn around their Champions League Last 16 tie with Porto.
The Costa del Sol outfit defeated the Portuguese 2-0 on Wednesday evening to progress through to the next round 2-1 on aggregate, thanks to goals from Isco and Roque Santa Cruz.
“We are very pleased. There was a great atmosphere and we could not fail the people,” Coach Pellegrini reflected post-match.
“We went into this after a lousy game in Portugal, where we had lost by an offside goal, but we were convinced that we could turn it around.
“We were disappointing in the first few minutes, we played too quickly. But then we took more care of the ball. I think the team played a great match.”
The Anchovies now await Friday’s quarter-final draw alongside Real Madrid and Barcelona.
“The best thing for Spanish football is that the three of us are kept separate. All the opponents will be very difficult, but we will not be a participatory team, we will be competitive.”
