Sergio Aguero : Man City's Savior
Europe's elite tournament has provided little other than additional disappointment to the mystifying failure of expensively assembled City teams to look like anything but strangers in the competition and a shadow of their former selves in the domestic arena .
Sometimes just one moment, or in this case two in the space of five late and dramatic minutes, provide the spark and self-belief to convince a team and their fans that they actually belong in the Champions League .
The two moments came from the world-class Sergio Aguero, pouncing on unlikely errors as 10-man Bayern Munich, cruising to a 2-1 win, were beaten 3-2. Suddenly the door is ajar for City as they travel to Roma for their final Group E game on 10 December.
City can go through so long as they better CSKA Moscow's result against Bayern in Munich but if City lose to Roma, or it ends 0-0, they would go out.
Can they reach the knockout stage for only the second time in four attempts ?
No wins from four games before Tuesday, including a home draw with Roma and a 2-1 loss to CSKA Moscow. Another defeat at Etihad Stadium against a Bayern side reduced to 10 men would have been a huge embarrassment for Pellegrini.
Defeat would have seen City having to beat Roma by three goals, an unlikely scenario, with an exit damaging Pellegrini's reputation and posing further questions about whether he was the right man to take this fiercely ambitious, but also superbly run, club to the next stage of their development.
Instead Aguero's hat-trick, aided by Bayern's carelessness, means City have finally caught the break they needed in the Champions League because this was a victory stolen from defeat after an aimless performance for the most part.Now they have a great opportunity in Rome.
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany said moments after Aguero's colossal match-winning performance: "If you want to succeed at anything you need to have a special player in special form."
No prizes for guessing who the Belgian meant - “Cometh the hour, Cometh the Man”. And City's man is this squat, powerful, clinical 26-year-old son in law of Diego Maradona. This was a night that echoes of the never-to-be-forgotten day in May 2012 when Aguero drove into the QPR penalty area and used his trusty right foot to win the Premier League title with the last kick of the season.
This winning goal did not win a trophy - well it may yet lead to nothing - but it may yet be heavy in significance if it provides the foundations for progress of a club and squad desperate to prove they belong to the highest footballing level in Europe.
The manner in which Aguero punished errors from Xabi Alonso and Jerome Boateng in the closing moments was the sign of a predator at work. Aguero, who signed a new five-year contract in August, has stated he will not leave City until they win the Champions League. They will have a much better chance of winning it with him than without him
Praise From Teammates and the Manager :
Kompany said: "He makes things achievable that otherwise wouldn't be." "He's our special player," Kompany told ITV. "If you want to succeed at anything, you need a special player in special form, otherwise you just don't win anything."
City trailed 2-1 in their crucial game against the German champions before Aguero scored twice in the final five minutes to secure victory at Etihad Stadium.The forward has now scored five goals in five Champions League games this season, taking his tally to 17 in all competitions this term.
And manager Manuel Pellegrini said the Argentina international striker was "one of the best players in the world". "I have always said that Sergio is one of the best players in the world," said Pellegrini.
But overall, City haven't been playing the way we all know they can, whether that is down to confidence or managerial issues, something desperately needs to change.You would think as the season progresses, the club from the blue side of Manchester will start to pick up the pace. If not the Manchester City manager and supporters will hope Sergio Aguero keeps off the injury list and stays on the score-sheet until his team get into the groove .