Aguero returned to the City side from a domestic suspension to net a second hat-trick in as many European games, inspiring a 4-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach in Wednesday’s re-arranged Champions League Group C clash.
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But as in previous group-stage games, the Etihad Stadium was far from full, with only 30,270 spectators present in an arena that can hold 53,000 on European nights.
Ronaldo denied his Portuguese boyhood club a famous win by scoring an equaliser from a free-kick in the 89th minute just when it seemed Madrid could, sensationally, lose their opening game in Group F.
“It is our job, we are here but without fans there is no reason why we are here”. That is our future in the Champions League. I am going to work until the last moment to convince the people to come here to join us to see the Champions League games.
“We can not make something good in the Champions League in the up-coming years without them”. In the Premier League everyone comes here but in the Champions League they don’t. With our supporters we are stronger.
“But I started from zero so to play for 80 minutes, and to play well I think, then I am very happy”.
“Our players deserve the stadium completely full and hopefully against Barcelona and Celtic it is going to happen”.
Gundogan is a world-class midfielder, a truly fantastic player who was born to play in Pep Guardiola’s system.
The Argentine now has 25 Champions League goals discounting the qualifiers. “I knew how hard this would be for us”, said the Spaniard.
“It’s a ideal day for me, to wait such a long time, it’s brilliant to play and have a good first game”, Gundogan told BT Sport following the match. Not all the teams can play in this competition. In coming here in three or four weeks are coming the best football players ever with LS [Luis Suarez] and Neymar and Barcelona and we have to enjoy it.
The only change to the two teams announced for Tuesday’s game was City’s inclusion of Ilkay Gundogan in place of David Silva, who was rested “as a precautionary measure”.
Aguero completed his hat-trick in the 77th minute from close range after being set clear by Raheem Sterling and Kelechi Iheanacho made it 4-0 in stoppage time. Sterling’s pass down the inside-left channel took Korb out of the game and Aguero rounded Sommer before rolling in his hat-trick goal.
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“I know this Borussia team perfectly, I had never won against this coach before. It’s not untypical of City”, Moenchengladbach coach Andre Schubert said.
