City moved to within a win of a place in the last 16 of Europe's elite competition with a comfortable 3-0 win at Villarreal on Wednesday night. Their hopes of progress had already seemed like hinging on the crunch away trip to Napoli in three weeks, but they now have a two-point advantage over the Italians having gone second in Group A.
Yet the margin between success and a Europa League consolation place remains slender as anything less than a win could leave them needing to beat Bayern Munich in the last game to go through. Kompany said: "I think the biggest statement would be to qualify."
He added: "We have finally got the campaign going and we feel the Champions League is something we can achieve good things in, just like the league.
"It was a good performance, very professional. We can move on from this."
City's dominance had more in common with their fine domestic form rather than their previous European outings this term. While Roberto Mancini's men have swept most before them in the Barclays Premier League, opening up a five-point lead in that competition, their lack of collective Champions League experience has hindered them in Europe.
But Kompany added: "I think our defensive performance, apart from the game in Bayern Munich, has not been too bad in the Champions League.
"Sometimes you are just unlucky to get a goal against. Here, a good performance throughout the whole game was rewarded.
"It is a difficult group but we had two games to win against Villarreal and we did it.
"Napoli away now will be unbelievable and I hope we will have a lot of supporters to see us. It will be a great game."
Source: PA
Source: PA