Manchester City kept their Champions League hopes alive by recording a 3-2 victory over Bayern Munich on a dramatic evening at the Etihad Stadium.
Mehdi Benatia was shown a red card in just the 20th minute for bringing down Sergio Aguero inside the box, and the Argentine forward piled on the misery by handing City the advantage from the penalty spot.
Bayern responded well to the early setback by taking a 2-1 lead into the half-time interval thanks to goals from Xabi Alonso and Robert Lewandowski.
However, Aguero would have the final say with two late strikes to ensure that City still have a good chance of reaching the knockout stages.
Read below to find out how the drama unfolded.
6.45pmGood evening everyone. It's the biggest night of the season so far for Manchester City, who are on the brink of being eliminated from the Champions League. The Premier League champions must produce a response tonight. Unfortunately for Manuel Pellegrini, Bayern Munich stand in his side's way. We'll be bringing you live text updates throughout the evening.
6.48pmMan City fans will be wondering how their team are in this situation again. It seemed like they had finally mastered the group stages last season before being knocked out by Barcelona. Group E was never going to be easy for them in this campaign, but Pellegrini's side simply haven't been good enough. It's not over yet. However, a certain result in Russia will decide what situation City are in before kickoff at the Etihad Stadium.
6.52pmIt's all over in Russia. A late goal has earned CSKA Moscow a 1-1 draw with Roma. That result means that Man City will remain in contention heading into the final matchday. A draw would be a decent result, but a victory would move City onto five points alongside Roma and CSKA. Is that the boost the team need heading into the game?
6.55pmOn a night like this, even Bayern Munich's social media team can afford to be in a relaxed mood.
They've won in Moscow and in Rome, but can #FCBayern do it on a cold Tuesday night in Manchester? #MCFCFCB #UCL pic.twitter.com/CZwKmQncyr
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) November 25, 20146.57pmPellegrini now knows the size of the task ahead of his team. A victory over Bayern would breathe life into what has been a frustrating season for City. Bayern, one of the favourites to win the competition, are on a fantastic run in all competitions. Guardiola's side will show little mercy if City do not find their best form tonight.
7.00pmMAN CITY: Hart, Sagna, Kompany, Mangala, Clichy, Fernando, Navas, Lampard, Milner, Nasri, Aguero
SUBSTITUTES: Caballero, Zabaleta, Demichelis, Boyata, Jovetic, Glendon, Pozo
7.04pmPellegrini makes five changes to the side which beat Swansea City on the weekend. Yaya Toure and Fernandinho both miss out due to the red cards they received in the defeat to CSKA. Bacary Sagna gets the nod over Pablo Zabaleta at right back, while Eliaquim Mangala is preferred to Martin Demichelis in central defence. Frank Lampard starts in midfield. Sergio Aguero has proved his fitness to lead the attack for the hosts.
7.06pmBAYERN MUNICH: Neuer, Alonso, Benatia, Ribery, Lewandowski, Robben, Rafinha, Boateng, Bernat, Rode, Hojbjerg
SUBSTITUTES: Zingerle, Dante, Shaqiri, Gotze, Muller, Schweinsteiger, Gaudino
7.10pmBayern may have already secured top spot, but that hasn't stopped Guardiola from naming a team full of world-class players. There are just two changes to the team which thrashed Hoffenheim 4-0 on Saturday as Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze drop to the bench. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Sebastian Rode replace the World Cup winners. Robert Lewandowski, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben all start, but Bastian Schweinsteiger is named as a substitute once again after making his first appearance of the season on the weekend.
7.12pmSome may have expected Guardiola to leave out a few more of his key players, but the Spaniard will be eager to protect the momentum his side have gained in recent months. That could be bad news for City, who can't afford to allow the visitors to dominate this evening. Pellegrini's team will be without the ball for long spells of the game, but they have to be brave going forward, too.
7.15pm
3 - @FCBayern have won 3 of their last 4 #UCL matches against English teams in England (1 draw). Confident. #MCFCFCB
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) November 25, 20147.18pmWhen these two sides met back in September, Man City looked on course to earn a point inside the Allianz Arena before the hosts snatched victory in the 90th minute. Former City defender Jerome Boateng's strike deflected off Gotze to leave Joe Hart helpless. The Citizens must avoid a repeat.
7.21pmXabi Alonso has warned his Bayern teammates to end City's Champions League dream, or risk meeting an improving side late in the competition.
In his pre-match press conference, the Spanish midfielder told reporters: "It looks like a very serious project and competing with the other clubs in Europe is for sure one of their goals. Even though it looks a difficult situation for them, it could change in 90 minutes. We will have to do our job."
7.25pm
.@FCBayern have lost just once in their last 13 #UCL away games. #formidable pic.twitter.com/aE0OzC4LTt
— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 25, 20147.27pmPREDICTION: Man City won't be knocked out tonight, but Pellegrini and his players know that they need to avoid defeat at the very least. Bayern come to the Etihad full of confidence, and they'll be expected to make life very difficult for the hosts. What will the outcome be? It's time to sit on the fence. 2-2 draw.
7.32pmSamir Nasri suggested during his duties with the media that some members of the City squad are playing for their futures tonight.
The Frenchman told reporters: "Let's be honest, with the salary of every player and the level of those players, 90% of the team are world class, then not to qualify from the first round of the Champions League would be a huge blow for the club - and for us as well. We need to do something or otherwise next year it's going to be new players and new everything."
Nasri could be right. City's wealthy owners will surely not accept another failure in the Champions League. An early exit from the competition could mean the end for some players, and whisper it quietly, possibly the manager. After winning the Premier League last season, Pellegrini's job should be safe, but we know that's not how modern football works.
7.35pmBefore the match gets underway at the Etihad Stadium, a quick reminder that Sports Mole has live commentary of every one of the games in the Champions League tonight. Click on the fixture in the live scores box to follow the updates.
7.39pm
Good luck to all my teammates tonight. Sorry I won't be on the field. But I will be cheering the team on! #ComeOnCity!
— Yaya Touré (@YayaToure) November 25, 20147.42pmThe players are on the pitch now. Vincent Kompany leads out City and Manuel Neuer wears the armband for Bayern in the absence of the injured Philipp Lahm. Plenty of Bayern supporters are making noise already.
7.46pmThey're running a little bit late at the Etihad Stadium, which is a bit surprising for UEFA, who are usually desperate to make sure these games start as soon as the clock hits 7.45pm. It will be City who get the game underway.
1 minIt's a nervy start as Mangala hesitates on the ball before finally clearing the danger under pressure from Robben. City quickly move onto the front foot, with Nasri seeing an early shot blocked by Benatia.
3 minMan City have found their feet pretty quickly, with Bayern looking uncomfortable when the hosts press further up the pitch. Guardiola's side are matching City's work-rate off the ball. Neither team have kept the ball very well so far.
5 minRobben's heavy touch invites pressure, but Nasri's poor pass gifts the ball back to the Dutchman as Bayern begin to dominate possession. Boateng is being given plenty of room to bring the ball out of defence. Pellegrini will not want to see that.
6 minGood football from City as they move the ball out to the left quickly. Nasri's cross into the box finds Lampard, but he can only guide the ball wide of Neuer's post with the header. Barely a half-chance for the hosts.
8 minIt's been clear in the early stages that Milner has been asked to operate in the centre of midfield, with Lampard playing the furthest forward of City's midfield three. The signs suggest that Pellegrini wants Lampard to stay close to Xabi Alonso.
9 minSAVE! Hart keeps City on level terms with an excellent save. Robben's chipped pass into the box is meant for Bernat, but his decision to leave the ball gives the chance to Rode, whose low strike from close range is blocked by Hart.
11 minThere's not a lot of room on offer. Bayern are dominating possession, but both Robben and Ribery are cutting inside, which is forcing Nasri and Navas into uncomfortable positions. A long spell on the ball for Bayern ends with Robben dragging a shot wide from 25 yards.
12 minAguero has been forced to feed off scraps so far. A long ball forward from Clichy is directed at the Argentine forward, but Boateng and Benatia combine to clear the danger. City can't afford to waste possession.
15 minA brilliant pass from Mangala releases Navas on the right, but his initial cross is cleared. City keep the pressure on well and they win a corner when Milner's dangerous delivery is put out by Alonso.
16 minLewandowski is back to clear City's first corner of the game. The hosts are looking confident when they do get the ball, but they've struggled to carve out openings so far.
18 minAnother diagonal pass, this time from Lampard, finds Navas in space again. The Spanish winger earns some room with a clever piece of footwork, but his cross is slightly too strong for Nasri to add the finishing touch at the back post.
19 minRobben finds the space he craves, and City almost pay the price. The Dutchman's pace is too much for Milner, but his cross to the back post ends in disappointment as Rafinha's shot is blocked.
20 minRED CARD! What a huge moment in this match. A long ball forward releases Aguero, who is brought down inside the box by Benatia. The defender made no contact with the ball, and his punishment is a red card. Can Aguero score from the spot?
21 minGOAL! MAN CITY 1-0 BAYERN (AGUERO)
22 minNeuer guesses the right way, but Aguero's penalty is good enough to give City the lead. Is this the turning point in City's Champions League campaign? The hosts are ahead against the 10 men of Bayern at the Etihad Stadium.
25 minSUBSTITUTION: What does a tactical genius do in this position? Guardiola makes a change. Rode is the player sacrificed as Dante comes on to fill the void left by Benatia's dismissal. City must stretch the game as much as possible to test Bayern.
26 minImpressive from City as Sagna links well with Navas and Nasri, before delivering an inviting cross into the six-yard box. The ball rolls past Aguero and Lampard, much to the relief of the Bayern supporters behind the goal.
28 minPredictably, Neuer has looked comfortable on the ball so far, but it's his poor pass which invites mores pressure from City. Pellegrini will be delighted with how hard his side are working off the ball. For once, Bayern look rattled.
30 minNavas is getting a lot of joy on the right, but he watches another cross cleared by Boateng. Fernando and Milner are first to every clearance, though. Man City are on top, but Pellegrini will want more goals.
32 minBayern are back on the front foot, but a cross from Rafinha is cleared by Mangala, who has been brilliant in the first half. The visitors are beginning to see more of the ball again, which is a worry even if they do have 10 players on the pitch.
34 minAguero's pace and trickery causes more problems for Bayern, but the visitors get enough players back to dispossess the Argentine. City keep the pressure on, before winning a free kick in a promising position.
35 minClever from City as they set for the cross before taking the free kick short. Aguero eventually tees up Lampard, whose strike from almost 30 yards drifts wide of the top corner.
37 minMan City have found the way to beat Bayern tonight. Another long ball into the channels is well-directed by Lampard. Aguero beats the offside trap, but Nasri's eagerness comes at the wrong time as the assistant referee stops the Frenchman's progress.
38 minMangala makes his first mistake of the night by chopping down Lewandowski on the edge of the box after some clever build-up play involving Ribery. Can Bayern make the hosts pay?
40 minGOAL! MAN CITY 1-1 BAYERN (ALONSO)
41 minBayern are made to wait, but Alonso eventually finds the net with his free kick. Hart spends a long time building his wall before watching the Spanish midfielder send a low strike through a crowd of players and into the bottom corner. City must respond to this setback. A draw is a decent result, but a win is a definite possibility.
43 minIt's remarkable how much of the ball Bayern are seeing after being reduced to 10 men. City have looked most dangerous when the game has been stretched, so it won't suit them to be forced onto the back foot when the scores are level.
45 minGOAL! MAN CITY 1-2 BAYERN (LEWANDOWSKI)
45+1 minThe Etihad Stadium are shocked by Bayern! Boateng is gifted the room to take the ball forward on the right, and he chooses to deliver what appears to be a hopeful ball into the box. Sagna seems to have Lewandowski covered, but the Polish striker displays his strength to hold off his marker and send the ball over Hart with a combination of his head and shoulder.
8.33pmHALF TIME: MAN CITY 1-2 BAYERN MUNICH
8.35pmCan we handle 45 minutes of action like that? City looked on course to give their Champions League hopes a boost when Aguero fired home from the penalty spot after Benatia had been sent off. However, two goals in five minutes from Alonso and Lewandowski means that it is Bayern who lead at the break.
8.38pmThe draw between CSKA and Roma earlier means that City will not be eliminated tonight, but they really can't afford to lose more ground after being given such a great opportunity in this game. Even with 10 men, Bayern have shown their class. City must disrupt Bayern's passing rhythm and get back to testing the visitors with their pace going forward.
8.40pmYou can't help but feel there's more goals to come in this match. Bayern have enough quality on the pitch to punish City if the hosts are wasteful while going in search of an equaliser. City have caused Bayern a lot of problems in wider positions. Navas, Nasri and of course, Aguero, will be key.
8.44pm
2 - Man City have now conceded 2+ goals in nine of their last 12 Champions League games. Brittle.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 25, 20148.47pmBoth sides are back out on the pitch at the Etihad. No changes from either manager yet. Guardiola has used on substitute, but still has Gotze and Muller to use later in the game. It will be Bayern who get the game back underway.
46 minBayern are on the front foot immediately as a long ball forward finds Robben in space. The Dutchman attempts to release Lewandowski, but Kompany steps in to make a vital interception on the edge of the box.
47 minCHANCE! Alonso launches a Bayern attack by dispossessing Fernando in midfield. The ball is played to Ribery in the box. He picks out Alonso on the edge of the penalty area, but the Spaniard can only lift a shot over the crossbar. Will Bayern regret that miss?
49 minCity waste a great opportunity as Navas hits Boateng with his cross after the hosts had created a three-on-two situation. Poor from the winger. Aguero and Lampard were both waiting in the middle.
51 minSAVE! Navas sprints into space once again, but he decides to shoot on this occasion. Neuer is down quickly to keep out the low strike. Good spell for City.
52 minCity are back on top early in the second half. Nasri invites pressure from a couple of defenders before picking out Milner, who curls a shot a yard over the crossbar from the edge of the box.
55 minAlonso is met with a couple of strong challenges in midfield as City look to cut off the Bayern threat from the main source. Pellegrini's side are dominating possession now, but they have to take advantage sooner rather than later.
57 minNasri is furious when Aguero decides against sliding a ball into his path. Fortunately for City, they win the ball back quickly. Bayern's 10 men are working incredibly hard to reduce the chances on offer to the hosts.
59 minGuardiola has to play the role of peacemaker on the touchline when Lewandowski pushes Kompany to the ground following a tackle from the Belgian defender. Neither of those players will back down from a challenge. It's the Bayern fans making all of the noise as the visitors begin to see more of the ball again.
60 minYELLOW CARD! Clichy becomes the first player to be booked tonight after a silly kick on Boateng. The referee had no choice but to take the defender's name.
62 minIt's getting frustrating for City and their supporters. Bayern are showing no signs of tiring as the visitors keep the ball for an extended spell, with even Neuer getting involved at one stage. Pellegrini needs a response from his players soon.
65 minCity have plenty of players forward, but they take too long to make a decision in the final third once again, allowing Bayern to clear the danger. Bayern attack quickly, with Robben finishing a promising move by hitting a tame effort straight at Hart.
66 minSUBSTITUTION: Pellegrini turns to the bench for the first time as Stevan Jovetic replaces Milner. It's a very attacking change from the Chilean.
67 minJovetic almost makes an instant impact with a clever pass into the box, but Aguero can't respond quick enough to beat Neuer to the ball. Aguero has been unusually quiet since breaking the deadlock from the spot.
68 minSUBSTITUTION: City make their second change as Pablo Zabaleta replaces Sagna at right-back. The hosts may look to target that side for the remainder of the game.
70 minSAVE! Brilliant from both sides. A quick passing move ends with Aguero setting up Lampard, whose powerful strike from 25 yards is tipped over the crossbar by Neuer. Bayern's goalkeeper then manages to collect the ball from the corner which follows.
72 minDante looks very uncomfortable while attempting to deal with Zabaleta's chipped pass. Aguero looks to take advantage, but Neuer is on the scene to rescue his teammate.
74 minIt just won't fall in the right place for the hosts. Jovetic does well to find Aguero, whose header on the edge of the box is on course to play in Lampard before Boateng steps in to clear the danger. Bayern are holding firm.
75 minGreat defending from Boateng. The City fans are excited when Navas sprints past Bernat on the right, before picking out Aguero in the box. However, Boateng keeps his eye on the ball to dispossess the Argentine as he looked to create some space for the shot.
77 minNeuer comes off his line to get a punch on Nasri's free kick. Zabalata unleashes a first-time shot from the edge of the box, but Robben makes a crucial block. City are piling the pressure on.
78 minA corner causes problems for City, but they fail to capitalise as Kompany sends a volley a couple of yards wide of the post. Time is running out.
79 minYELLOW CARD! Neuer takes far too long over a goal kick and the referee cautions the World Cup winner.
80 minSUBSTITUTION: Ribery's night is over as he makes way for Schweinsteiger, who will help the Bayern cause alongside Alonso and Hojbjerg in midfield.
82 minBayern are still brave in defence as they push high up the pitch to catch Lampard offside. It's been a fantastic defensive effort from the visitors in the second half. There's still time for City to claim something from the game. At the moment, City will need a big win against Roma in their final game to have a chance of progressing.
84 minSUBSTITUTION: Guardiola infuriates the City supporters by changing his mind about who to take off just as the fourth official is raising his board. It's Lewandowski who eventually makes way for Xherdan Shaqiri.
85 minGOAL! MAN CITY 2-2 BAYERN (AGUERO)
86 minHe's been quiet since scoring, but Aguero makes the vital contribution to level the scores. Surprisingly, it's Alonso who gives the ball away, allowing Aguero to sprint clear of the Bayern defence. The Argentine remains calm to slot the ball past a helpless Neuer. Will there be a winner?
87 minBayern look rattled now as City step up the pace to encourage a big reaction from the home supporters. A draw is a decent result for the hosts, but they'll desperately want one more chance to win this game tonight.
89 minYELLOW CARD! Bayern are fighting the temptation to drop deeper when City have the ball. A long spell of possession for the hosts comes to a frustrating end when Zabaleta brings down Bernat after a heavy touch on the wing. Yellow card for the full back.
90 minThe fourth official confirms that three minutes will be added on.
90+1 minGOAL! MAN CITY 3-2 BAYERN (AGUERO)
90+2 minAguero lives for these dramatic moments! Bayern pay for another mistake as Boateng miscues a clearance to play in Aguero, who does what we all knew he would by picking out the bottom corner. It's a hat-trick for the Argentine. Man City are on the way to a huge victory.
90+3 minSUBSTITUTION: Guardiola doesn't know where to look on the sidelines. It's City who are dominating possession in stoppage time. Every single home supporter then rises to applaud as Aguero comes off to be replaced by Demichelis.
9.37pmFULL TIME: MAN CITY 3-2 BAYERN
9.39pmAguero has done it again for Manchester City. A hat-trick from the striker means that City have a good chance of reaching the knockout stages. Bayern worked incredibly hard after being reduced to 10 men, but two late mistakes handed the win to the hosts. It will all go down to the final game for City, Roma and CSKA Moscow.
9.40pmThanks for joining me on a thrilling evening in the Champions League. We hope you've enjoyed our coverage. Analysis and reaction from this match is on the way. Goodnight.
