Sergio Aguero hits treble as City beat 10-man Bayern
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ByEurosport
Updated 26/11/2014 at 18:06 GMT
Champions League Group E, Etihad Stadium - Manchester City 3 (Aguero 21 pen, 86, 90+1) Bayern Munich 2 (Alonso 40, Lewandowksi 45)
Manchester City's Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring a goal against Bayern (Reuters)
Image credit: Reuters
Sergio Aguero was the Manchester City hero as his hat-trick secured a dramatic 3-2 win over 10-man Bayern Munich to keep their Champions League hopes very much alive.
Manuel Pellegrini's side had looked on course to move level on points with CSKA Moscow and AS Roma with relative ease when the Argentine fired home a penalty after Mehdi Benatia was sent off for hauling down the Citizens striker.
But 10-man Bayern hit back when birthday boy Xabi Alonso rolled a low 25-yard free kick into the bottom corner before Robert Lewandowski's towering header turned the game on the stroke of half time.
The Citizens had been handed a lifeline prior to kick off when CSKA Moscow's last-gasp equaliser against Roma meant City were not facing the win or bust scenario they had been expecting - and after toiling for long spells they eventually responded in dramatic fashion.
With just four minutes left Aguero raced onto an error by Alonso to coolly fire past Neuer. And the forward sent the Etihad into raptures in injury-time when he showed great composure to place the ball into the corner after another Bayern defensive howler.
The victory means a Manchester City win in Rome coupled with Bayern avoiding defeat at home to CSKA Moscow will see Pellegrini's men progress to the knockout stages.
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Bayern Munich's players leave the pitch after losing their Champions League Group E match against Manchester City (Reuters)
Image credit: Reuters
KEY MOMENTS
PRE-MATCH - Lampard starts: City line up with a 4-5-1 system and name Frank Lampard in their starting XI in the absence of the suspended Yaya Toure and Fernandinho. Sergio Aguero leads the line. As for Bayern, Guardiola has opted for a 4-3-3 and made two changes from the weekend with Sebastian Rode and Pierre Hojberg coming in for Mario Goetze and Thomas Mueller.
9' - GREAT SAVE! Hart does well to block Rode's first-time shot on the run after Robben's dinked ball into the area had fallen kindly for the midfielder.
20' - RED CARD AND PENALTY TO CITY! Aguero races after Lampard's ball over the top and is hauled down in the area by Benatia. The referee points to the spot and shows the Moroccan a straight red card!
21' - GOAL!City 1-0 Bayern. Aguero fires the penalty beyond the outstretched arm of Neuer to put City ahead.
40' - GOAL!City 1-1 Bayern. Alonso levels it up with a low 25-yard free kick into the corner of the net. Dante moved off the wall and Xabi placed it right where he had been standing. A nice way for the Spanish ace celebrate his birthday!
45' - GOAL!City 1-2 Bayern. Lewandowski leaps brilliantly to loop a header via his own shoulder into the top corner from a right-wing cross. 10-man Bayern have turned it around!
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Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski (2R) celebrates with team mates after he scored a goal against Manchester City (Reuters)
Image credit: Reuters
47' - BAYERN CHANCE! It should be 3-1. Alonso wins the ball in the centre circle and exchanges passes with Ribery before curling over the bar from the edge of the box. A surprising lack of composure from the former Liverpool man.
50' - MAN CITY CHANCE! Navas marauds down the right and into the area but his low shot is beaten away by Neuer at the near post.
70' - FINE SAVE! Rafinha's sloppy pass is seized upon by City with Lampard drilling in a first-time shot that Neuer has to push over the top.
86' - GOAL!City 2-2 Bayern. City are level!!! It's Aguero again. The Argentine latches onto the error by Alonso to race through and slip the ball beyond Neuer.
90+1' - GOAL!City 3-2 Bayern. He's done it again! Aguero has the hat-trick and City's chances of making the last 16 have just improved dramatically! It's another Bayern error, but Aguero doesn't care as he nips in ahead of Boateng to side foot home.
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Manchester City's Sergio Aguero (3R) scores the winning goal past Bayern Munich's Rafinha (2R) and Jerome Boateng (R) (Reuters)
Image credit: Reuters
KEY STATS
Sergio Aguero has scored seven times in his last five Champions League games at the Etihad Stadium. He has also scored all five of his spot kicks in the CL.
Aguero is only the second player to score a CL hat-trick against Bayern Munich (after Roy Makaay for Deportivo in '02).
Aguero has now scored 11 goals in 11 Champions League appearances since the start of last season
Man City haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last 12 Champions League matches.
The Citizens have not kept a clean sheet in any of their 10 Champions League home games since the start of 2012-13.
Alonso's equaliser was Bayern's 50th competitive goal this season.
Man City have now conceded 2+ goals in nine of their last 12 Champions League games.
(Stats courtesy of Opta and Infostrada)
TALKING POINT. Will City progress? The Citizens never do anything the easy way. The 2012 title triumph was sealed in the 94th minute and they've let this group go right to the wire. At 2-1 down with four minutes left they needed to win by a BIG scoreline in Rome to have any chance, but with the last-gasp Aguero-inspired turnaround there is suddenly a very different vibe. This triumph will give them huge confidence and despite Roma's impressive home record this season, you wouldn't rule City out - but you should expect drama!
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Bayern Munich's coach Pep Guardiola (L) reacts next to Manchester City's manager Manuel Pellegrini (Reuters)
Image credit: Reuters
MAN OF THE MATCH
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City). Who else? Simply sensational. Without him City would have lost. Ruthless finishing by one of the top strikers in world football.
PLAYER RATINGS
Manchester City: Hart 6, Sagna 6, Kompany 6, Mangala 6, Clichy 6, Fernando 6, Navas 7, Lampard 7, Milner 6, Nasri 6, Aguero 9. Sub: Jovetic 6, Zabaleta 6, Demichelis n/a.
Bayern Munich: Neuer 6, Rafinha 6, Boateng 5, Benatia 4, Bernat 5, Rode 5, Hojbjerg 5, Alonso 6, Ribery 6, Lewandowski 6, Robben 6. Sub: Dante 7, Schweinsteiger n/a, Shaqiri n/a.
MATCH IN A TWEET
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