Sergio Aguero's uncharacteristically "?defective penalty-taking was not enough to stop Manchester City from placing one foot in the Champions League group stages, beating Steaua Bucharest 5-0 at the Arena Nationala in a thoroughly enjoyable contest. Aguero had one penalty saved, then skied another, before dusting himself down off to produce a hat-trick of fine finishes, all with impeccable right-footed efforts, adding to David Silva's opener and Nolito's first strike since joining from Sevilla to give Pep Guardiola his first European victory as City boss.
Steaua were determined to unnerve their visitors, instead given a rude awakening inside the opening two minutes, when the home side's captain Nicolae Stanciu picked Kevin De Bruyne's pocket, strode forward purposefully before unleashing a dangerous shot that just whipped past Caballero's post. That proved to be a false dawn for the home side, as it was effectively one-way traffic for the remainder of the evening.
Every touch from a City player was greeted with whistles and boos from the home supporters, which were only transformed to outright anger when Sully literally booted Sterling off the ball inside the area. The referee pointed to the spot without hesitation, but Aguero's effort was excellently saved by Nita, with the rebound from Nolito cannoning off the crossbar.
Sterling, exhibiting a freedom and confidence that has been somewhat missing from his arsenal of late, won the penalty and was also pivotal in the opening goal, stealing the ball off Tosca before racing forward, cutting back and picking out Silva. The Spaniard dispatched the shot expertly and City had their away goal. While one England international faces a deeply uncertain future, another is certainly playing his way into his manager's good books.
Astonishingly, Steaua continued with some comically inept sliding tackles inside the area when Enache scythed down Kolarov, leading to a second penalty. However, proving that even the most devastating marksmen are not immune to the nerve-shredding powers of penalty-taking, Aguero ballooned his effort high into the stands. Guardiola looked on in disbelief, knowing his side could have wrapped up the tie at that moment.
Aguero missing 2 penalties within 20 minutes of each other ? [@GoonerTerje] pic.twitter.com/Lthc4MzKnK
If there was to be an outlet for Steaua, it was out wide with Popa. Kolarov and Zabaleta drifted infield at times, leaving space on the wings for the home side. Indeed, that was exploited by Popa during a particularly eye-opening counterattack, bursting down the right flank and feeding Stanciu, who then slipped in Hamroun, only for Caballero to come out and make a crucial save to deny the equaliser. The hosts may not have been showing much in the art of defending, but they certainly posed a considerable threat pouring forward in numbers.
Before half-time, City squandered two more chances, first with Kolarov striking the bar with a volley from a corner, before Sterling failed to convert from close-range, forcing another fine save from Nita. However, there was nothing the keeper could do with Aguero's next effort, the Argentine latching on to Sterling's cushioned lay-off and producing an inch-perfect finish to deliver the ultimate response to the double-penalty mishap.
Following the break, Nolito grabbed his first goal in a City shirt, exchanging passes with De Bruyne before rounding the keeper and slotting home, killing the competitiveness of the tie and prompting a deathly silence around the stadium. City continued to exert their dominance and control, passing it effortlessly around an exhausted Steaua as Aguero wrapped matters up with another two clinical finishes, exorcising his penalty ghosts absolutely. Yes, penalty woes notwithstanding, Guardiola and City came to Romania to get the job done and they certainly negotiated the task impressively.