Sergio Aguero

MANCHESTER -- Snatching glory from the jaws of farce and with typical poise, Sergio Aguero reversed the recent trend of Manchester City's uneasy relationship with Champions League football.

"If you want to succeed at anything, you need a special player in special form otherwise you just don't win anything," said the relieved City captain, Vincent Kompany. "When he's in that form, he makes things achievable that otherwise wouldn't be."

Perhaps Aguero's greatest achievement here was to revive City fans' interest in this competition. A vocal proportion say they do not care yet once Aguero scored an equaliser, the Etihad rang out in hope and expectation. When he struck his third, the winner, the stadium finally erupted into a noise befitting an encounter with a club of the stature of Bayern Munich, with a coach of the reputation of Pep Guardiola.

"A player like Aguero is always going to pose a danger," admitted the Catalan. "We lost the game. We gave them the game. That is football."