CSKA Moscow manager Leonid Slutsky has praised the match-winning performance of Seydou Doumbia in last night's meeting with Manchester City, saying that the striker "deserves to be treated as a hero".

The 26-year-old scored twice at the Etihad Stadium to down the Citizens, giving his side some real hope of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League at the expense of Manuel Pellegrini's charges.

Doubmia's brace came a fortnight after he had instigated CSKA's 2-2 draw against the same opponents in Russia, when he scored one and also won a penalty late on.

"Obviously when he had the first game in Moscow, he could hardly walk, he was limping," FIFA.com quotes Slutsky as saying. "Even limping he could score a goal and was fouled for the penalty.

"Before this match he didn't have much preparation because of the injury and he hasn't been training for months. Considering all of that, he showed a very high level of skill and he deserves to be treated as a hero."

CSKA, who had never previously won a game in England, are now two points ahead of City in third place.