As their fans beseeched them again and again, Manchester City really did fight 'til the end’, especially the magnificent hat-trick man Sergio Agüero.
Facing deep embarrassment to the 10 men of Bayern Munich, who were giving the champions of England a master-class in the possession game, City recovered from 2-1 down with six minutes remaining to win. Thanks to Agüero. Thanks to the Argentinian’s belief, balance, determination, eye for goal and composure when running at the best goalkeeper in the world in Manuel Neuer.
So City’s European dream remains alive. Any draw above 1-1 at Roma in the final round of games, and also bettering CSKA Moscow’s result against Bayern Munich, will see City rise from bottom of Group E into the knock-out stages. They will need all of this late resilience in the Stadio Olimpico but with Agüero they have a chance.
It had all started so promisingly for City. Even before Benatia’s dismissal and Agüero’s penalty, City must have felt the evening was going their way. They had started buoyed by the news of Vassili Berezoutski’s late equaliser for CSKA against Roma in Moscow, gifting the English a lifeline.
City had then taken the lead against the run of play. Bayern had settled so quickly, almost scoring after eight minutes. Franck Ribery linked up with Arjen Robben, who dinked the ball over City’s defence for Sebastian Rode to run on to. Only Hart’s quick thinking rescued City, the keeper rushing out, spreading himself and blocking Rode’s shot.
Poor Rode was soon heading towards the bench after Pep Guardiola rejigged his side following Benatia’s red card in the 21st minute. The Moroccan international centre-back could hardly complain. He was totally caught out by City’s sudden attack. Jesus Navas laid the ball back to Frank Lampard, who lifted it first time through the middle. Agüero sprinted on, controlling the ball on his thigh, guiding it forward, speeding into the box.
Benatia slid in, stretching out his right leg, bringing the Argentine down.
Pavel Kralovec will have fewer easier decisions to give. As Benatia walked slowly towards the tunnel, Agüero placed the ball on the spot, took six steps back and faced Manuel Neuer, the best goalkeeper in the world. The nerveless Agüero responded by driving the penalty firmly to Neuer’s left, the ball propelled too quickly and placed far too accurately for the diving German World Cup-winner.
Suddenly, City believed again. Their fans chanted “Sergio, Sergio” and sang that they would “fight til the end”. CSKA had done them a favour. Benatia’s mistake had given them more hope. From a position of despair at the bottom of Group E, the English champions now had their chance.
Inevitably with the extra man, they exuded more confidence, more of an inclination to try things. They saw the gaps in the visitors’ defence, even with Dante replacing Rode, coming on to partner Jerome Boateng, the former City player. Surely not even City could mess this up?
Yet as the half closed, as the Bayern fans chanted loudly in support of their depleted team, City’s defence went into meltdown, making a mockery of Pellegrini’s notes in the programme. “We’re working every day to improve defending, so I hope this evening we don’t make the mistakes we made on Saturday,’’ wrote the City manager, referring to the edgy 2-1 win over Swansea City. Individually and collectively, City were a comedy of errors.
The first mistake came from Eliaquim Mangala, who had been surprisingly chosen ahead of Martin Demichelis at centre-half. Mangala fouled Lewandowski just outside the area, centrally placed and inviting for a left-footed technician like Robben or right-footed like Alonso. City lined up the wall slightly too far to the right. Ribery and Rafinha quickly occupied the open end.
City first seemed confused when Lewandowski ran towards the wall. Robben seemed poised to take the free-kick. Then Alonso calmly stepped up and drove the ball in. Ribery and Rafinha leant into Agüero, squeezing the wall. Dante also distracted and created space. But City’s real culprit was Hart as well as those in the wall. Hart was static and helpless, having left too much space which Alonso exploited in full. On his 33rd birthday, Alonso provided another reminder of his ageless excellence, and another question-mark over why Real Madrid had let him go.
City’s record of not keeping a clean sheet in the Champions League now stretched to 12 games and it got worse. On the cusp of half-time, Boateng collected the ball on the right with City’s defence totally dishevelled. James Milner came across to try to stop Boateng’s cross but the defender delivered. Vincent Kompany had taken his gaze off Lewandowski, who had only Bacary Sagna for company. The Polish international leapt with Sagna, meeting the ball first, as much with his shoulder as his head. The ball duly looped over Hart, whose positioning was poor.
City could point to absentees, to the absence through suspension of Yaya Touré and Fernandinho and the injury to David Silva, depriving Pellegrini of much subtlety in creating chances. Yet Bayern lacked four of their World Cup winners. Samir Nasri said that “90 per cent of City players are world class” so they should have responded, especially with the extra player.
They poured forward after the break. Navas had a shot saved by Neuer, who then watched as Milner curled an effort just over. Pellegrini began trying to influence the game from the bench, trying to inject some more energy and cutting edge with Stevan Jovetic coming on for Milner.
Pablo Zabaleta’s greater attacking threat was then introduced for Sagna.
City lay siege to Neuer’s goal. The keeper did brilliantly to push a Lampard drive over. Kompany swept a shot wide. With 12 minutes remaining, Neuer then indulged in some time-wasting, and was cautioned. Pep Guardiola was cajoling his players, keeping them hungry, looking for another goal. He sent on Bastian Schweinsteiger, then Xherdan Shaqiri but it was City who struck with five minutes remaining.
A rare mistake from Alonso gave City their chance. Jovetic intercepted and released Agüero through the middle. He sprinted on and so coolly swept the ball left-footed past Neuer.
And then came Agüero again. Kompany hoisted a long ball forward, Jovetic flicked on and Jerome Boateng failed to clear. Agüero muscled through the middle, and under pressure from Boateng, Dante and Rafinha, City’s serial saviour placed the ball past the onrushing Neuer.
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