Soccer:An injury time goal by Sergio Aguero gave Manchester City a 2-1 victory over Villareal in the Champions League Group A clash at the Etihad stadium. The second half substitute rescued his club with virtually the last kick of the game after they had fallen behind after just three minutes.
An own goal from Carlos Marchena got City back into contention before Aguero’s late strike. The home side, still chasing their first win in the competition, were stung after just four minutes when Cani turned in after Joe Hart saved from Giuseppe Rossi.
City thereafter dominated possession at the Etihad Stadium but found the Spaniards in resilient form until Marchena inadvertently diverted an Aleksandar Kolarov cross past his own keeper.
The Manchester club, leaders of the Barclays Premier League, went into the contest as clear favourites but it was La Liga’s 13th-placed side who made the perfect start.
There were just three minutes on the clock when Silva played Nigel de Jong into trouble outside his own area and Jonathan de Guzman nipped in to steal possession. Former Manchester United striker Rossi lashed a shot at goal that Hart could only parry and Cani reacted quickly to the rebound to poke Villarreal ahead.
Villarreal were lifted by that first goal in this season’s group stages and Joleon Lescott needed to break up another promising attack. After a sloppy start, City finally began to find some life after Aleksandar Kolarov, scorer of the equaliser against Napoli earlier in the competition, fired wide from distance.
Kolarov then found space on the left to clip in a cross for Nasri on the edge of the box but the Frenchman volleyed narrowly over. Kolarov went for goal again himself direct from a free-kick but goalkeeper Diego Lopez palmed his curling effort away from the top corner.
The resulting corner worked its way to De Jong outside the box but the Dutchman blazed high and wide. With Silva looking to get on the ball as often as possible, City tried to maintain the pressure but, after a good spell, began to find Villarreal difficult to penetrate.
Nasri did find a way through after exchanging passes with Silva but fired a low cross straight through the area. Yaya Toure pounced on a mistake to surge forward but shot way off target and a Kolarov cross proved too strong for Pablo Zabaleta.
Mancini made a change five minutes before the break, taking off Johnson, who did not appear to be injured, and sending on Barry. Although the change itself made little difference, City pulled level within three minutes.
Kolarov again made an incisive run and his low cross took a slight deflection before a sliding Carlos Marchena diverted it into his own goal attempting to clear. City almost snatched the lead before the break when Silva played in Dzeko but Lopez reacted quickly to save.
City were almost caught napping at the restart as Rossi robbed Vincent Kompany and blasted a shot wide after a dangerous run. The hosts responded as Silva spread the ball wide for Zabaleta and his cross dropped nicely for an onside Dzeko but the Bosnian failed to make clean contact and Lopez saved.
City thought they had claimed the lead after 54 minutes when Kolarov smashed in a shot off the underside of the bar but the flag was raised for offside as Toure played him through.
Villarreal gave City another scare just before the hour when former West Brom midfielder Borja Valero found space to shoot but missed the target. With the home side looking sluggish, Mancini made a second substitution with Aguero replacing De Jong. It proved a prescient move
Man City:Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, De Jong, Toure Yaya, Johnson, Silva, Nasri, Dzeko. Subs: Pantilimon, Richards, Milner, Savic, Aguero, Barry, Clichy.
Villarreal:Diego Lopez, Zapata, Marchena, Rodriguez, Catala, Valero, Bruno, Perez, De Guzman, Cani, Rossi. Subs: Cesar, Musacchio, Mario, Wakaso, Bordas, Gullon, Joselu.
Referee:Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic)
