Sergio Agüero struck a hat-trick to earn Manchester City FC a 3-2 comeback victory over ten-man FC Bayern München and revive the English champions' hopes of reaching the last 16.
City looked like they had run out of ideas as they entered the closing stages 2-1 down. Then Agüero, who had hit a first-half penalty, capitalised on two Bayern mistakes to earn Manuel Pellegrini's team the most unlikely of victories.
Bayern had earlier shrugged off Medhi Benatia's sending-off to overturn Agüero's penalty with goals before half-time from Xabi Alonso and Robert Lewandowski. As a result of the late drama, City climbed level on five points with AS Roma and PFC CSKA Moskva, and could snatch second place in Group E with victory in Italy in a fortnight.
Bayern began the night with first place already assured and Josep Guardiola gave Pierre Højbjerg and Sebastian Rode their first starts in the competition. The German titleholders still dominated the early exchanges and almost had a goal when Arjen Robben dinked a ball over to Rode but Joe Hart spread himself to make the save.
It was against the run of play that City went ahead as Frank Lampard's ball over the top sent Agüero racing through and Benatia brought him down. Agüero duly placed his spot kick out of the reach of Manuel Neuer.
Manuel Pellegrini's team were missing suspended pair Yaya Touré and Fernandindo along with the injured David Silva but in Lampard, they had a player putting his vast experience to good use on his first European start for City. Bayern had their own impressive veteran, though: Alonso.
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Robert Lewandowski after making it 2-1
On 40 minutes the Spaniard marked his 33rd birthday by firing the ten men level. After Eliaquim Mangala had fouled Lewandowski just outside the box, Alonso rolled a low free-kick into the space created by substitute Dante on the edge of the defensive wall and beyond the flat-footed Joe Hart.
By half-time Bayern led as Lewandowski got between Vincent Kompany and Bacary Sagna to send a header looping over Hart and in off the post.
Although Neuer saved from Jesús Navas and Lampard, there was a resigned mood around the ground in the second half until Agüero struck his second. Alonso played a stray ball to substitute Stevan Jovetić and Agüero raced clear before firing across Neuer and into the far corner.
Then, in the 91st minute, Jérôme Boateng, scorer of a last-minute winner when the teams met in Munich, missed his kick as he tried to clear and Agüero nipped in, carrying the ball into the box and finishing low to breathe life into City's campaign.
source: uefa.com
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