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MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, right, scores his side’s third goal during the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between Manchester City and Monaco at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, yesterday. — AP Aguero stars as Man City sink Monaco in thriller

MANCHESTER: Sergio Aguero starred as But Aguero’s doggedness allowed them out of the return leg, but he came close to and crossing for Falcao to net but the Colombian’s weak spot-kick was Manchester City beat Monaco 5-3 in a to haul themselves back into the game, putting Monaco ahead with a header from a with a flying header. comfortably saved by Caballero. breathless and dizzyingly end-to-end abetted by Falcao’s failure to convert a corner. It was City, though, who went in Moments later came a contentious City levelled eight minutes later courtesy Champions League last 16 first-leg penalty early in the second period. Having front in the 26th minute. Sane lit the fuse, moment as Aguero nudged the ball past of a howler from Subasic, who allowed encounter at a rocking Etihad Stadium yes- recently lost his place in the team to dancing away from three players on the City Danijel Subasic and went to ground, only to Aguero’s shot to go right through him at his terday. put City ahead, , only to regain it after the left and exchanging passes with David Silva be booked for diving. On the touchline, near post after a storming run down the only for Kylian Mbappe to level and Brazilian broke his foot, it was a personal before crossing for Sterling to slide home Guardiola reacted furiously, angrily gesticu- right from Sterling. But the momentum to score twice-the second triumph for Aguero, who departed to a from close range. But within six minutes lating at fourth official Teodoro Sobrino, but swang back Monaco’s way just three min- goal a magnificent chip-as Leonardo standing ovation. Monaco were level as Guardiola’s goalkeep- there was worse to come. City had all the utes later when Falcao shrugged off Stones Jardim’s side moved into a 3-2 lead. Mbappe took Valere Germain’s place ing problems came back to bite him. time in the world to organise themselves and then lofted an exquisite right-foot chip But City struck three times in the last 19 alongside Falcao in Monaco’s starting XI and when Monaco won a free-kick on halfway, over Caballero from just 15 yards. minutes, through Aguero’s second goal, the 18-year-old in the flourescent orange FALCAO SQUANDERS PENALTY but Fabinho was still allowed to find After Sterling had seen a penalty appeal and Leroy Sane, to put Pep boots immediately caught the eye. He He had restored Caballero to his line-up, Mbappe, who steadied himself before fin- turned away following a robust challenge Guardiola’s men in charge ahead of the looked to run at City’s defence at every having fielded Claudio Bravo in the FA Cup ishing coolly. by Benjamin Mendy, Aguero levelled again, return leg on March 15. opportunity, at one point leaving Nicolas at Huddersfield Town on Saturday, but the It might easily have been 3-1 by the volleying in smartly from Silva’s right-wing For a long time it looked likely to be a Otamendi for dead twice in five seconds Argentine’s wayward kicking gave City jit- interval, with Mbappe and Falcao both corner. The momentum was City’s and after scarring night for City, who reached the before setting up Benjamin Mendy, who ters all evening. going close either side of the former’s goal. Stones had put them ahead in the 77th semi-finals last season, as a succession of was thwarted by Willy Caballero. Kamil It was his loose, lofted clearance that gift- Monaco looked poised to extend their minute, jabbing in at a corner, Silva’s dinked calamitous defensive errors allowed Glik’s evening got off to a bad start when he ed possession to Fabinho prior to Monaco’s lead five minutes into the second half when pass enabled Aguero to set up Sane to set Monaco to take control. was booked for taking out Sane, ruling him leveller, the Brazilian playing a one-two with Otamendi was penalised for fouling Falcao, the seal on an extraordinary match. — AFP Atletico ease past Leverkusen 4-2 to take control of tie LEVERKUSEN: Atletico Madrid beat hosts Bayer seeing his subsequent clearance bounce off his keeper’s Leverkusen 4-2 in a topsy-turvy encounter yesterday to crossbar. take a firm handle on their Champions League round-of- Niguez did better in the 17th minute, charging down 16 tie ahead of the return leg in Spain next month. Two the right and curling his shot past Leno after it took a lethal counter-attacks in the opening 25 minutes put the slight deflection off Aleksandar Dragovic. 2014 and 2016 finalists in the driving seat, with Saul Griezmann then doubled the score after the hapless Niguez and on target, and give them Dragovic fluffed his clearance and sent the ball into the the edge for a quarter-final spot for the ninth time. path of Gameiro who picked out the onrushing Leverkusen, who struggled to contain the hard- Frenchman to sweep in. charging Spaniards for more than an hour, cut the deficit Leverkusen played completely into Atletico’s before Atletico’s Kevin Gameiro scored with a spot kick hands with their high defensive line, for the first time and Stefan Savic’s own goal set up a nervous finale. in the competition conceding goals in the opening Fernando Torres ended any speculation with his goal in 30 minutes. the 87th minute as the Germans suffered their first Griezmann should have added another in the 34th home loss in Europe after a 10-match unbeaten run. when Gameiro again sent him through but Leno stood They are at risk of missing out on the last eight for his ground and the hosts cut the deficit four minutes the fifth time with Atletico taking revenge for a 1-0 loss after the restart with Karim Bellarabi from inside the at the same stage last season. The Bundesliga club, box. But their hopes were short-lived as Dragovic finalists in 2002 before the introduction of the round of capped his nightmarish performance by giving away a 16, have never gone past this stage on four previous penalty after bringing down Gameiro. attempts. Savic’s own goal put Leverkusen back in the game They were supposed to be dangerous on the break but despite constant pressure they failed to carve LEVERKUSEN: Leverkusen’s Javier Hernandez, right, shoots on the goal past Atletico’s Saul Niguez during the but it was Atletico who came close early on with keeper out an equaliser before substitute Torres finished Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid in Bernd Leno stopping a Griezmann effort and Wendell them off. — Reuters Leverkusen, Germany, yesterday. —AP