A look back at five of Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero’s best ever performances in the Champions League
As Manchester City prepare for their must-win game with CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, all eyes will be on Sergio Aguero as he looks to fire in the goals against the Russian team once again. Here we look at some of his best nights in Europe…
Tuesday 4 November 2014 17:44, UK
There’s a theory that Manchester City’s players are too naïve to succeed in the Champions League. It’s a curious notion given the experience of so many of the key players in Manuel Pellegrini’s team, not least their star striker Sergio Aguero.
Since making his Champions League debut for Atletico Madrid in 2008, Aguero has scored 16 goals in 34 appearances in Europe’s premier club competition. Even so, he’s yet to reach the quarter finals in five attempts. Will it be sixth time lucky with City?
If that’s to happen he’ll need to deliver over the remaining group games – starting with a performance against CSKA Moscow on Wednesday, a side he’s scored against in each of the three previous meetings between the clubs. As this look back at his finest Champions League moments shows, that’s something Sergio Aguero makes a habit of…
PSV Eindhoven 0 Atletico Madrid 3 – 16/09/2008
Aguero’s Champions League debut came in Eindhoven in the 2008/09 season for Atletico Madrid and it didn’t take long for the Argentine to make an impact. Inside the first 10 minutes, the shaggy-haired youngster turned in what was to become a typical near-post finish beyond the goalkeeper to give Atletico the lead. Shortly afterwards he collected a pass to feet inside the box and finishing high left-footed to double Atletico’s lead en route to a 3-0 win over PSV. Aguero also scored in his next Champions League game against Marseille as the Spanish side qualified behind Liverpool only to bow out with an away goals defeat to Porto in the round of 16.
Atletico Madrid 2 Chelsea 2 – 03/11/2009
Having failed to find the net against Liverpool in the previous season, Aguero got off the mark against English opposition in the Champions League in spectacular style against Chelsea in the Vicente Calderon. His thunderous volley gave Atletico the lead against Carlo Ancelotti’s side only for a Didier Drogba brace to appear to give the visitors the points. But Aguero’s 25-yard free-kick secured a draw in the final moments. Surprisingly, they were his only Champions League goals that season as Atletico went winless through six matches. The fact that the team did just enough to scrape into the Europa League ahead of APOEL proved crucial as they went on to win that competition by beating Fulham in the final in May 2010.
Manchester City 2 Villarreal 1 – 18/10/2011
Manchester City’s first taste of Champions League action proved a chastening experience as they struggled in a group that included Bayern Munich and Napoli but the campaign was not without its Aguero-inspired highlights. Desperately in need of three points at home to Villarreal, City were being held going into stoppage time when Pablo Zabaleta’s cross found the striker at the far post for him to prod into the net and send the fans home happy. While it was Aguero’s only Champions League goal that season, he did at least finish the year in style with 13 goals in his final 16 appearances including that goal against Queens Park Rangers as City won the Premier League.
Manchester City 1 Real Madrid 1 – 21/11/2012
Another season and another tricky Champions League group that proved too much for Roberto Mancini’s City side. Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund took the qualification places with the fact that both teams went on to progress to the semi-final stages highlighting how tough the assignment was. Victory over Real was required at the Etihad Stadium and that looked a distinct possibility when Aguero went down under a tangle with Alvaro Arbeloa that resulted in the defender being sent off and a penalty being awarded. Aguero equalised from the spot with his second goal of the campaign but the winner wouldn’t come and City finished bottom of the group.
CSKA Moscow 1 Manchester City 2 – 23/10/2013
Live UEFA Champions League
City reached the Champions League knockout stages at the third attempt in 2013/14 with Aguero instrumental in that achievement thanks to the sheer weight of his goals. The forward found the net six times in five group games with his brace in Moscow proving perhaps the most important. Having gone behind on a difficult surface against CSKA, Aguero converted a David Silva cross to level the scores before bravely heading home an Alvaro Negredo centre for what turned out to be the winning goal. City’s Champions League ambitions were ended over two legs against Barcelona in the last 16.
Watch Manchester City in action against CSKA Moscow live on Sky Sports 5 HD this Wednesday (7.45pm kick off)
