Sergio Aguero kept City’s Champions League hopes alive with a hat-trick against Bayern Munich…
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has heaped praise on star striker Sergio Aguero, after the Argentine’s scored two late goals to complete his hat-trick, and lead his team to a Champions League victory over Bayern Munich.
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Having failed to win any of their first four group games, City looked to be heading out of the competition as they trailed 2-1 with five minutes remaining. But Aguero pounced on defensive errors from Xabi Alonso and Jerome Boateng to clinically turn the match around in the closing stages.
Reports in the Daily Mail carry quotes from Pellegrini, who said: “Sergio is one of the best players in the world and one of the best strikers. He played well and so did the team in the second half.
“We conceded at the end of the first half the two goals, but we trust, we pressed and finally we got the chances for Sergio to score. We have to do our duty. We have won the first one and now we must beat Roma away.
“This kind of victory is very important, we will see what happens in the last game and whether we have a mathematical chance to qualify. My first thought is that we conceded two goals in the way we did and it is difficult to win from that position.
“At half time I told the players we have 45 minutes to stay in the Champions League. To beat Bayern Munich, who had so much possession and to not to lose our spirit after losing those two goals, we were never beaten.
“This is not of the most dramatic night or the most important of my managerial career – it was just a group game, but it was important to stay in the Champions League. The emotion was dramatic, but I trust the team to do the job.”
The scenes at the end of the game were reminiscent of those in 2012, when Aguero’s goal against Queens Park Rangers won City their maiden Premier League title. City now know that victory over Roma in their final group game with guarantee their progress to the Last 16.
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