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Manchester City has beaten Monaco 5-3 in their Champions League round-of-16 first leg in a sensational contest at the City of Manchester Stadium.
Goals to Sergio Aguero (two), Raheem Sterling, John Stones and Leroy Sane overcame an excellent Monaco side, who grabbed what could be three crucial away goals.
Monaco twice took the lead thanks to Radamel Falcao's brace and Kylian Mbappe's finish, but a late second-half flourish saw City storm home and take a two-goal cushion into the second leg.
The match's floodgates were opened when Sane cut inside before putting the ball on a plate for Sterling to finish and put the hosts 1-0 up.
But Monaco fought back superbly and seemed unfazed by going a goal behind, equalising through Falcao's diving header just six minutes later.
Controversy struck as Aguero went down in the area as Monaco keeper Danijel Subasic got to the ball, but appeared to make contact with the Argentine who went sprawling in the area.
But instead of a penalty, Aguero was given a yellow card for simulation and a free-kick was awarded Monaco's way. Replays showed Subasic got a faint touch on the ball before Aguero made contact with the keeper's leg.
Two minutes later, the hosts' anger was further inflamed as Mbappe burst past his marker to blast a chipped through-ball into the roof of the net and put Monaco 2-1 up.
City has long been looking to make long-term progress in Europe's elite competition, and the angst was palpable at the half-time break.
Photo:
City keeper Willy Caballero saved a penalty from Monaco's Radamel Falcao. (AP: Dave Thompson)
That angst went into overdrive when, with City fans (rightly or wrongly?) incensed by the referee denying Aguero a penalty earlier, Monaco were awarded a penalty themselves when Nicolas Otamendi went through the back of Falcao in the area.
Enter Willy Caballero — City's back-up keeper whose selection saw plenty of questions being asked of manager Pep Guardiola — heroically diving to his left to save Falcao's tame attempt from 12 yards.
That set up the platform for Aguero to bag the first of his night in the 58th minute, running onto a lovely Sterling pass before dashing towards the far right byline. But with plenty to do, Aguero saw his angled shot slide through Subasic's fingers in a dreadful mistake for the keeper.
Monaco would not be undone just yet. Barely three minutes later, the visitors were again ahead when Falcao controlled a long pass brilliantly, before chipping the ball over Caballero in a simply beautiful goal.
City looked to break as Sterling lined up for a shot in the box only to be nudged off the ball by Benjamin Mendy, before Monaco broke straight back as rising star Mbappe beat his man in the box before firing just wide.
But City was level moments later as Kevin De Bruyne headed on from a corner, missing Stones but finding Aguero, who contorted his body brilliantly to volley in the equaliser for 3-3.
Stones would get his goal-scoring moment six minutes later, stretching to finish from close-range from another set piece, before Sane made it safe with a tap-in after an excellent passing move in the box.
In the night's other match, Atletico Madrid put one foot in the quarter-finals with four away goals in a 4-2 win on the road against Bayer Leverkusen.
Topics: champions-league, soccer, sport, england, monaco, france
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