AP, Moenchengladbach :
Sergio Aguero scored a last-minute penalty as Manchester City came back from a goal down to snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory at Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Aguero was fouled by United States defender Fabian Johnson in the 89th minute and sent ‘Gladbach keeper Yann Sommer the wrong way to secure the win. Both sides had lost their opening games in Group D.
Lars Stindl scoring in the 54th minute for the home side, which was playing European Cup football at home for the first time in 37 years, only for Nicolas Otamendi to equalize with a deflected effort in the 65th.
“That was our worst game of the season. Perhaps it will do us well to play badly and still win,” said City midfielder Kevin du Bruyne, back in Germany for the first time since his switch from Wolfsburg.
Juventus defeated Sevilla 2-0 in the other group game to take top spot with six points. Sevilla and City both have three, while ‘Gladbach remains bottom with none.
Johnson preferred to focus on the performance.
“We’ve shown that we don’t need to hide in the Champions League,” the American said.
Though he claimed the winner, Aguero missed a number of chances for City. The normally prolific Argentine squandered a great opportunity in the fifth minute when he failed to beat Sommer from close range after a perfect cross from Raheem Sterling.
City goalkeeper Joe Hart was the early difference between the sides, saving a penalty from Raffael in the 20th, then denying the Brazilian again after a brilliant pass from Julian Korb, and producing another fine save to deny Patrick Herrmann from a similar position on the right.
Aguero had already fired wide with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Hart blocked Raffael to begin the second half before Stindl finally made the breakthrough when Korb picked him out to fire inside the right post from 11 meters (yards).
Otamendi equalized with a deflected shot after Korb’s desperate attempt to clear Martin Demichelis’ initial effort from behind the line. TV replays showed the ball was clearly over, but there were no doubts after Otamendi rifled his shot into the net.
Johnson’s trip on Aguero helped end ‘Gladbach’s unbeaten record at home to English opposition. It was the side’s first defeat under interim coach Andre Schubert, who had two wins after taking over from Lucien Favre. Favre quit after starting the Bundesliga with five straight defeats.
“On balance we’re disappointed not to have taken anything from it. But we can be happy with the type of game it was. We invested a lot and forced the initiative a lot,” Schubert said.
