Sergio Agüero proves greatness with hat-trick performance
From two-time penalty kick missing goat to ripping the net three times, Manchester City’s Sergio Agüero shows his character and quality, gifting the City fans Sergio Agüero hat-trick No. 8, as the Citizens rolled Steaua Bucharest by five goals.
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In the Arena Națională, under a celestial roof of Romanian sky, a strange thing happened: Sergio Agüero missed — twice. Granted two gimmes from the penalty spot in the first half, the consistently coldblooded hitman failed to convert, as Steaua Bucharest keeper Florin Niță dove to deny him on the first and Agüero sailed the ball skyward to the heavens on the second. Yet, both City’s and Agüero‘s early finishing woes proved to be a good omen, as the stars seemed to align for both club and player afterward. Just about 90 minutes later, the Blues buried five goals, including a Sergio Agüero hat-trick, while allowing none in retaliation, showing Steaua’s prematch confidence to be thoroughly thickheaded.
It also seemed like the first time the vaunted #pepeffect could be seen through City’s play.
The first breakthrough for City came soon after when Raheem Sterling hounded Steaua’s defense into a turnover before unselfishly sliding it to David Silva for first blood in the 13th minute. From that point on, City dominated throughout to the final whistle, though the second goal didn’t come until Agüero, set up by another Sterling touch, slotted a ball into the lower left corner past Niță’s fingertips a few minutes before half time.
Nolito added another early in the second act. The Spaniard and the Argentine later then combined for Agüero‘s second, a brazen carving so humiliating for the Romanians, they may now finally take pride in the Statue of Trajan and the She-wolf, a much maligned landmark in Bucharest that starkly boasts the naked Roman emperor groping a female wolf, bronze penis, teats and all.
As for more insult to injury, Agüero grabbed his hat-trick late in 89th minute when Steaua’s defense melted away as City’s No. 10 rocketed toward the goal before unleashing a strike that gave an appropriately resounding thud off the post in quite the resounding display from Agüero and City.
It reiterates Agüero, who would be considered the best footballer of his Argentine generation if it wasn’t for Lionel Messi, is deadly even when off. And to be honest, he lacked precision in a hat-trick performance that easily could have had six or seven goals to his name in a 10-0 match.
Agüero’s performance here was a microcosm for City’s own effort. For a showing that lopsided against an opponent that below one’s own caliber — 61 percent possession and 20 total shots — City’s 5-0 victory seems rather mediocre. Nevertheless, tonight’s beatdown assuredly secured Champions League group competition for the Blues and showed a brilliant glimpse of what’s to come under Guardiola. Not only did it demonstrate a short memory and drive in a player and a team in the face of initial adversity, the tie pointed to a glorious end for which City still has a ways to go to get there, but get there, it can.
Next: 3 Key Takeaways: Citizens Blow By Steaua 5-0 in UCL First Leg
It’s true both Agüero and City looked human and inhuman in the match. The only difference: Tonight revealed Agüero’s current greatness; it revealed City’s potential for it in years to come.