Aguero's last-gasp goal gives Man City their first-ever Champions League victory

Now here is an Argentine striker who knows how to come off theManchester City bench in the Champions League and delight manager, team-mates and fans alike. Sergio Agüero rose from the dug-out to breathe life back into City’s Champions League dream just when it seemed close to expiring. It felt a huge moment in City’s season.

After all the grief over Carlos Tévez’s failure to come on at Bayern Munich, Agüero’s impact after arriving as a sub in the 62nd minute was particularly uplifting for Roberto Mancini. City’s manager responded to Agüero’s goal by repeatedly punching the air before embracing his coaching staff. It felt a huge moment for Mancini.

The Italian is a tough character, as Adam Johnson discovered with a brutal tactical substitution six minutes before half-time, but the pressures of his managerial role are immense here. Having taken such a strong stance over Tévez, stating in Munich that he would not pick him again, Mancini needed his forwards to deliver.

Mario Balotelli was suspended. Edin Dzeko was painfully off the pace.

Usual creative inspirations like David Silva found Villarreal too organised, too quick to close down space. Samir Nasri ran into cul de sacs. City’s most creative player was their outstanding left-back, Aleksandar Kolarov. So relief as well as joy was etched on Mancini’s features when Agüero pounced.

ManUtd fail to impress in a 2-0 victory.

It is an anniversary Wayne Rooney would probably rather forget, but at least he made it a happy one.

Twelve months on from the tumultuous five days which saw Rooney threaten to leave Manchester United, the forward spared his club their worst-ever start to a Champions League campaign with two second-half penalties against the unremarkable Romanian champions Otelul Galati which saw him overtake Paul Scholes as the highest-scoring Englishman in Champions League history with 26 goals.

It was anything but spectacular from United or Rooney, but the 25-year-old’s ability to turn defeats into draws and draws into victories, as shown again in Bucharest, is why Sir Alex Ferguson waged such a determined battle to keep the England striker at Old Trafford a year ago this week.

Two penalties in a half-empty stadium in Romania will hardly go alongside Rooney’s United highlights, but by securing their first Group C victory this season, the importance of his accuracy from 12 yards should not be under-estimated.

The harsh dismissal of captain Nemanja Vidic three minutes after Rooney’s 63 rd minute opener for a bookable foul on Gabriel Giurgiu — balanced out by referee Felix Brych’s equally bizarre decision to dismiss Milan Perendija for an 89th minute foul on Javier Hernandez — denied United a comfortable end to a below-par performance.

VV explains why he dropped Tau and co

"I said in the beginning of the season that we have 27 players and four keepers all of the same quality.

"The senior guys who didn't play today need competition and from good competition we can improve. There is no jealousy or bad intentions" Vermezovic said.

Chiefs are now second on the log, two points behind SuperSport United, and 'VV' says it is important for his side to stay close to the log leaders who thumped Maritzburg United 7-0 on Friday.

"SuperSport is a very dangerous team this season and so are Moroka Swallows," he added.

Meanwhile, Leopards coach Sunday Chidzambwa was not happy with his side's performance and admitted that his team was not in the game.

Masilela back in Spain

Tsepo Masilela is back in Spain and hopes to be fit for Getafe's trip to face Real Sociedad on Sunday. 

The Bafana Bafana left back had been back in South Africa waiting for his visa to be renewed after being sidelined with a hamstring injury. But his agent Paschalis Tountouris of Prosports International says the 26-year-old has now been granted a new visa and he arrived back in Madrid over the weekend.

"He's back in Spain now and I expect him to be back in action in five to 10 days," he tells KickOff.com.

"We can't be sure but his hamstring is getting better all the time and he will be joining in training. It's a relief that he now has the permit and I hope he will be back playing very soon."

Masilela moved to Getafe on a season-long loan from Maccabi Haifa in August after a switch to Sven Goran Eriksson's Leicester City fell through.

He has made four starts for the La Liga outfit but picked up the injury in the 1-0 defeat to Espanyol on September 22.

"I think he's doing very well," says Tountouris.

"He was excellent in the game against Real Madrid and was having a great game against Espanyol until he got the injury.

"La Liga is the best League in the world and he is playing against the best players in the world every week so it is good for his career to be there," he adds.  

Orlando Pirates coach Julio Leal says Benni McCarthy is getting better

Orlando Pirates coach Julio Leal says it won't be long before Benni McCarthy starts regularly for Bucs. 

McCarthy was introduced late in the second-half during their goalless draw against AmaZulu at the weekend, giving Pirates more options up front.

Leal said the striker's physical level has improved and that it won't be long before he starts matches.

"Yes, it is true he has lost weight but I can't give numbers (kilograms), but he is still not up to the standard we require.

"But his commitment and his technical and tactical quality have indicated that we can use him during games. It won't be long before he is inspired as before and then we will start with him," Leal adds.

With Pirates' strikers failing to score, Leal could use McCarthy during the first round Telkom Knockout Cup match against Black Leopards this weekend.  

Baloyi puts in man of the match performance

A first goal from Lucky Baloyi in the South African top flight proved to be the winner as Kaizer Chiefs beat Black Leopards 2-0 in an Absa Premiership match at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Sunday afternoon.
The Phefeni Glamour Boys second goal was scored by Lehlohonolo Majoro as the three points was the perfect birthday president for the club’s chairman Kaizer Motaung Snr.
The opening 45 minutes was dominated by the mighty Amakhosi, but for all their possession and pressure they couldn’t find the back of the Leopards net thanks to some great goalkeeping from Postnett Omony.
The half started a little slowly but soon sprang into life in the 14th minute after a nice interchange of passes by Chiefs saw Siphiwe Tshabalala set-up Lucky Baloyi on the edge of the box, but his volley was superbly saved by Omony diving full stretch to his right.
Nine minutes later and the Bafana Bafana left winger tested the Leopards keeper again and again he was up to the task. Tshabalala fired a powerful low drive goalwards from the edge of the box, but Omony did brilliantly diving to his left to make the save.

Orlando Pirates way below par...

Orlando Pirates coach Julio Leal feels that the defending League champions are playing well below their full potential. 

The Brazilian coach, who watched in despair as Pirates were held to a 0-0 draw at home by an unyielding AmaZulu on Saturday, is now concerned at the rate at which his team is dropping points.

The result means that Pirates have now gone for four matches without a win and leaves them seven points behind log leaders SuperSport United who are on 18 points.

"We are not supposed to drop points at home. We had most of the possession but could not score," says Leal.

"Overall, I feel that the players were not fully committed because we should have won that match. The crosses were not coming in from the flanks and we really should have done better in the midfield and in the front," adds the coach.

Leal is also concerned with the low fitness levels of striker Benni McCarthy, whom he regards as a vital cog in his side.

"He (McCarthy) is improving in terms of his fitness but he is not yet at the physical level that we would want him to be.

"This is why we used him in the second half, where I hoped he would make an impact as the opposition would be tired," adds Leal.