Manchester City 5, Monaco 3: Pep Guardiola promises more of the same in the second leg as City score five in eight-goal Euro thriller
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insists his side cannot afford to curb their attacking instincts in the second leg despite taking a significant step towards the Champions League quarter-finals against a gung-ho Monaco.
In a relentlessly offensive encounter, City eventually prevailed and established a two-goal cushion as John Stones and Leroy Sane emerged from the mayhem to net crucial strikes inside the final quarter of an hour.
Aguero had earlier notched his second goal of the evening to level the clash at 3-3 after Radamel Falcao’s double and an effort from teenager Kylian Mbappe had elevated Monaco to a position of strength following Raheem Sterling’s opener.
The free-scoring Ligue 1 leaders will have to breach City’s backline at least twice at Stade Louis II stadium on 15 March to have any chance of progressing to the last eight, although defending is not on Guardiola’s radar.
“Anything can happen in Monaco so we will have to score goals there,” said the Spaniard, who reached the Champions League semi-finals in each of his seven previous campaigns as a manager. “To defend will be almost impossible. They are able to score two, three or four goals. We think in attack. Attack, attack, attack.”
City enjoyed plenty of early possession and took a 26th minute lead when a penetrative run from Sane culminated in the German sliding a ball across the six-yard box for Sterling to poke home.
The home side were in control of proceedings but their joy lasted just six minutes as an errant clearance from goalkeeper Willy Caballero preceded a whipped cross from Fabinho which was met by the head of a diving Falcao.
More chaotic defending by City, in particular a dozing Nicolas Otamendi, turned a simple punt forward into a piercing pass and Mbappe duly fired past Caballero in composed fashion.
Falcao fluffed a penalty as Aguero hauled City level shortly before the hour mark with his first goal in seven matches, although it owed much to the hapless goalkeeping of Monaco stopper Danijel Subasic, who allowed a routine effort to squirm past him.
City’s celebrations were extremely short-lived as Stones was culpable of more woeful defending. The former Everton centre-half was rolled by Falcao before the 31-year-old produced an exquisite chip beyond Caballero.
The pulsating nature of the match did not subside and Aguero thumped a volley past Subasic from Kevin de Bruyne’s corner, while another set-piece from the Belgian was turned in at the far post by Stones. Monaco’s defending became increasingly shambolic and City pressed further ahead with eight minutes remaining as Aguero unselfishly squared for Sane to apply a simple tap in.