MX23RW : Monday, December 23 19:39:18| >> :120:73482:73482:
[monks data]
Manchester City logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Nov 25, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
Bayern logo

3-2

Aguero (21' pen., 85', 91')
FT(HT: 1-2)
Alonso (40'), Lewandowski (45')

Player Ratings: Manchester City 3-2 Bayern Munich

Sports Mole looks at who impressed in Manchester City's dramatic 3-2 victory over Bayern Munich at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City finally claimed their first victory in the Champions League this season as Sergio Aguero's hat-trick secured a 3-2 win over Bayern Munich.

Aguero opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Mehdi Benatia was sent off for bringing down the Argentine, but goals from Xabi Alonso and Robert Lewandowski handed Bayern the advantage at the break.

City's hopes of picking up a crucial result looked to be fading until Aguero took advantage of errors from Alonso and Jerome Boateng to hand all three points to the hosts.

Below, Sports Mole rates the performance of every player on a dramatic night at the Etihad Stadium.


MANCHESTER CITY

Sergio Aguero of Manchester City celebrates with teammate Stevan Jovetic #35 of Manchester City after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group E match between Manchester City and FC Bayern Muenchen at the Etihad Stadium on Nov© Getty Images

Goal

Joe Hart: Unable to get into the right position for Alonso's free kick, but could do very little to keep out the second goal as the ball looped in off Lewandowski's shoulder. (6/10)

Defence

Bacary Sagna: Prevented from getting forward on a regular basis, but stuck to his defensive task well to keep Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben quiet when they drifted out to his side of the pitch. (7/10)

Eliaquim Mangala: Started the game superbly, but made a couple of errors to pile the pressure on his teammates. At fault for the first goal after committing a silly foul on the edge of the box. (6/10)

Vincent Kompany: Led his side superbly all evening. The Belgian was brave enough to step up out of defence in order to confront the likes of Ribery and Robben. Big display from the City skipper. (8/10)

Gael Clichy: Gifted possession back to Bayern on too many occasions, but avoided making any big errors in the danger zone. (6/10)

Midfield

Fernando: Unlikely to steal many headlines, but his energetic performance in midfield was crucial in City's victory. Made a number of crucial interceptions and refused to shy away from any tackle. (8/10)

James Milner: The England international would have preferred to have made more of an impact in the final third of the pitch, but he sacrificed himself to keep Robben and Ribery quiet for long spells of the match. Removed in the second half as City went in search of a way back into the game. (6/10)

Frank Lampard: Another player who would have been eager to make a contribution in the Bayern box, but his experience in the middle of the pitch was vital. Looked after the ball impressively and did a good job of keeping tabs on Alonso. (8/10)

Samir Nasri: The Frenchman was kept out of the game as City decided to launch the majority of their attacks on the right wing. Short of his best form, but he could play a big role against Roma in the final game. (5/10)

Jesus Navas: Unlike Nasri, the Spanish winger saw plenty of the ball. However, his end product was often poor on the occasions when he did manage to beat Juan Bernat. (6/10)

Attack

Sergio Aguero: There's not many strikers in the world with the ability that Aguero possesses. The Argentine was often a periphery figure, but he made the difference with three vital goals which could turn City's season around. (9/10)

Substitutes

Stevan Jovetic: The forward didn't see much of the ball, but he caused Bayern an extra problem by staying closer to Aguero in attack. (6/10)

Pablo Zabaleta: An eagerness to make an impact saw him booked after he replaced Sagna at right-back. Surprisingly sloppy in possession. (5/10)

Martin Demichelis: Replaced Aguero in the final minute of stoppage time, but didn't get a touch of the ball. (5/10)


BAYERN MUNICH

Bayern Munich's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring his team's second goal past Manchester City's English goalkeeper Joe Hart during the UEFA Champions League Group E football match between Manchester City and Bayern Munich at the E© Getty Images

Goal

Manuel Neuer: Always willing to come out of his box to prove his status as the world's best sweeper-keeper. The World Cup winner couldn't have stopped any of the goals, but did make on fine save to deny Lampard. (6/10)

Defence

Rafinha: Forced to curb his attacking instincts, but proved his worth at the back by restricting the space on offer to a frustrated Nasri. (7/10)

Jerome Boateng: Made the mistake which led to Aguero's winner, which ruined an otherwise faultless display from the central defender. (6/10)

Mehdi Benatia: Made an impressive start, but piled the pressure on his side by foolishly bringing down Aguero. Shown a deserved red card and will be cursing himself for a few days. (3/10)

Juan Bernat: Used his pace well in an intriguing battle with Navas. Prevented from doing more in attack due to the pressure the visitors were under following Benatia's dismissal. (6/10)

Midfield

Xabi Alonso: At his best in midfield before uncharacteristically giving the ball away to set up City's second goal. Fooled Hart with a fine free kick in the first half. Mixed bag from the Spaniard. (6/10)

Sebastian Rode: Denied a goal by Hart's fine early save, before being sacrificed by Pep Guardiola when Dante was sent on to join Boateng in defence. (5/10)

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: The 19-year-old was making his full Champions League debut, but he never looked overawed by the difficulty of the task ahead of him. Displayed an impressive range of passing and helped his defence out when he was called upon. (7/10)

Arjen Robben: Surprisingly quiet night for the Dutchman, who threatened with a couple of early runs before spending much of the game on the edge of the action. (5/10)

Franck Ribery: Forced to do much of his work going backwards, but he proved to be a willing worker as he chipped in on both wings when City were piling on the pressure. (6/10)

Attack

Robert Lewandowski: The Polish forward barely had a kick in the second half, but he displayed great strength to hand Bayern a lead in the second half by somehow beating Hart with his shoulder. Kompany made sure he did not cause further damage after the break. (6/10)

Substitutes

Dante: The Brazilian was impressive alongside Boateng after filling the void left by Benatia's absence. Made a number of vital clearances, but his lack of pace showed when Aguero twice stormed clear late on. (6/10)

Bastian Schweinsteiger: Sent on in the 84th minute to fill the gaps in midfield, but had no say as Aguero stole the show. (5/10)

Xherdan Shaqiri: Introduced moments before Aguero equalised. Unable to get involved in the closing stages. (4/10)


ID:190137: cacheID:190137:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:10614:
Written by
Callum Mulvihill
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Sergio Aguero of Manchester City celebrates with teammate Stevan Jovetic #35 of Manchester City after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group E match between Manchester City and FC Bayern Muenchen at the Etihad Stadium on Nov
Read Next:
Match Analysis: Manchester City 3-2 Bayern Munich
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Liverpool660018
2Barcelona650115
3B. Leverkusen641113
4Inter Milan641113
5Brest641113
6Arsenal641113
7Aston Villa641113
8Lille641113
9Bayern640212
10Dortmund640212
11Atletico640212
12AC Milan640212
13Atalanta632111
14Juventus632111
15Benfica631210
16Feyenoord631210
17Brugge631210
18Monaco631210
19Sporting Lisbon631210
20Real Madrid63039
21Celtic62319
22Man City62228
23PSV62228
24Dinamo Zagreb62228
25PSG62137
26Stuttgart62137
27Shakhtar61144
28Sparta Prague61144
29Sturm Graz61053
30Girona61053
31Red Star61053
32Salzburg61053
33Bologna60242
34RB Leipzig60060
35Slovan Bratislava60060
36Young Boys60060


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!