M'gladbach vs Manchester City. UEFA Champions League Group D.
Borussia-ParkAttendance46,217.
Thursday 1 October 2015 11:13, UK
Sergio Aguero's late penalty saw Manchester City come from behind to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 in the Champions League.
The visitors had trailed to Lars Stindl's strike nine minutes after half-time, while it could have been worse had Joe Hart not saved Raffael's first-half penalty.
But Manuel Pellegrini's side claimed a vital Group D victory thanks to goals from Nicolas Otamendi and Aguero's last-minute spot-kick as they became the first English team to win at the home of Monchengladbach.
City were able to welcome back both goalkeeper Joe Hart and playmaker David Silva from injury, while midfielder Yaya Toure had also recovered from the hamstring tweak that forced him off in their 4-1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
However, influential captain Vincent Kompany was still absent with a calf problem, with the Belgium international one of six players missing through injury for the trip to what was a rocking Borussia-Park for Monchengladbach's first taste of Europe's premier club competition in more than 37 years.
The visitors could have quietened the home fans within five minutes of the kick-off after fine approach play down the left flank by Raheem Sterling, whose cross picked out the waiting Aguero six yards from goal, only for Yann Sommer to deny the striker with a brilliant close-range stop.
City should have been made to pay for that miss when the impressive Raffael went down under Otamendi's clumsy challenge in the box, with referee Clement Turpin - after consulting with the extra official behind the goal - pointing to the spot.
Returning City goalkeeper Hart kept the scoreline goalless, however, by guessing correctly and diving full length to his right to beat away Raffael's well-struck penalty with 20 minutes gone.
And the England international almost then went one better by setting Aguero clear on goal with an accurate kick upfield, only for the normally accurate Argentina international to pull his effort inches wide of Sommer's far post.
The home side then moved up a gear in the remainder of the first half and would have gone in ahead but for two more excellent point-blank saves by Hart, firstly to keep out Raffael's effort, and then to deny midfielder Patrick Herrmann seconds later.
Meanwhile, Monchengladbach also had another strong claim for a penalty turned down when Stindl appeared to be tripped in the box by Fernandinho, but this time the French official simply waved away the home team's vehement appeals.
The second period began with Hart again preventing the Bundesliga side from opening the scoring with an excellent stop to keep out Raffael's curling effort just two minutes after the break.
But the visitors, who had by this stage lost the injured Toure, failed to heed that warning as Monchengladbach soon found themselves deservedly in front after 54 minutes following a lovely move down their right flank, Julian Korb's cut-back converted by the onrushing Stindl from 10 yards out.
That goal then appeared to kick the visitors into life, City behind for just 10 minutes before Otamendi drew them level following Kevin De Bruyne's right-wing corner, which was met by Martin Demichelis at the near post.
The centre-back's effort was cleared off the line by Korb - although TV replays subsequently showed that the ball had actually crossed the goal-line - but Otamendi rifled home the clearance, albeit with the aid of a big deflection off Andreas Christensen's head.
The home side then appeared to settle for a point, but City went in search of a winner, and were rewarded for their endeavours when Alvaro Dominguez felled Aguero in the box in the final minute of the game - the ninth spot-kick Monchengladbach have conceded in the last seven matches.
The Argentina international kept his cool to send Sommer the wrong way and hand City their first win in this season's Champions League in dramatic circumstances.
