Manchester City comes from two goals down to stun Bayern Munich; United bounces back at home

MANCHESTER City launches extraordinary comeback to end Bayern Munich's winning run, United prevails against Shakhtar Donetsk.

MANCHESTER City fought back from two goals down to earn a 3-2 win at Bayern Munich on Tuesday and break the holders' record 10-match Champions League winning streak., while A 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk saw Manchester United stop the rot at Old Trafford and top their UEFA Champions League group.

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The German giants also suffered their first defeat in major competition since coach Pep Guardiola took charge in June.

Bayern also fell to their first home defeat -- after 18 wins -- since losing 2-0 at home to Arsenal in last season's knock-out stages of the Champions League in March.

With both teams already through to the knock-out stages, City avenged October's 3-1 defeat to Bayern at the Etihad Stadium, but still finished second to the Germans in Group D with both teams on 15 points.

It had started ominously for City as Bayern produced a flawless opening 20 minutes to race into a 2-0 lead after 11 minutes.

Goals by Thomas Mueller and Mario Goetze left Bayern cruising before David Silva pulled one back for City as it finished 2-1 at the break.

Captain Aleksandar Kolarov then converted a penalty to pull level on 59 minutes before James Milner gave City a deserved lead three minutes later with a superb curling shot to complete the miraculous fight-back.

With a home game against Premier League leaders Arsenal on Saturday, City coach Manuel Pellegrini had decided to put first choice strike pairing Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negrado on the bench.

City drew level after the break when Milner was pushed from behind by Dante following a strong run into the area and Neuer dived the wrong way as Kolarov fired home.

Bayern now had a fight on their hands and Milner put City ahead three minutes later when he curled his shot around Neuer and inside the far post to the delight of the travelling City fans in the sold-out 68,000 crowd.

This was only the second time Bayern have thrown away a two-goal lead in the Champions League having gone down 3-2 to AS Roma in November 2010.

News_Image_File: Bayern's Thomas Mueller scores his side's opening goal.

Elsewhere, the Red Devils drew a line beneath recent back-to-back home defeats by overcoming Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday to secure top spot in Champions League Group A.

Beaten 1-0 by first Everton and then Newcastle United in their last two home games, United survived several near-misses against the Ukrainian champions before prevailing through a second-half goal from Phil Jones.

As well as eliminating Shakhtar, the result gave United three home victories in the group phase for the first time since they last won the competition in 2007-08.

Manager David Moyes can now look forward to a favourable tie in the last 16 when the draw is made next Monday, while Shakhtar slip into the Europa League due to Bayer Leverkusen's 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in the other group game.

Having already seen their team beaten twice in the space of a week, there was an understandable nervousness about the Old Trafford crowd that Shakhtar seemed eager to exploit.

Alex Teixeira could have put the visitors ahead in the 12th minute after running onto a pass from fellow Brazilian Taison, but he sent the ball inches wide of United goalkeeper David de Gea's left-hand post.

Andriy Pyatov had already saved from Jones by that stage and the Shakhtar goalkeeper also had to box away a half-volley from tournament debutant Adnan Januzaj, but United continued to look vulnerable.

News_Image_File: Manchester United's Phil Jones scored the match-winning goal.

One-time United target Douglas Costa slashed a shot wide after Alexander Buttner committed himself too early, while Alex Teixeira could only fire straight at De Gea after ghosting past Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans.

Giggs and Ferdinand looked particularly ponderous, both conceding possession in dangerous positions, but gradually United roused themselves.

Wayne Rooney, back in the team after a domestic suspension, brushed the side-netting with a free-kick, while Ashley Young spurned two excellent opportunities prior to half-time.

In the second-half, Moyes's decision to introduce Robin van Persie and Tom Cleverley energised the crowd further and in the 67th minute, United scored.

Van Persie's right-wing corner took a glancing blow off a defender at the near post and sat up invitingly for Jones, who smartly readjusted his body position and lashed home a low volley.

Cleverley volleyed over as United looked to extend their lead and Van Persie dinked a shot wide in stoppage time, but Jones's strike proved enough to settle the game and begin the process of repairing Old Trafford's once formidable reputation.

News_Image_File: Donetsk's Alex Teixeira reacts after missing a chance to score.

There's plenty to enjoy in episode nine of the Fox Football Podcast. Adam Peacock and Simon Hill are joined in the studio by a special guest, Australian defender Eddy Bosnar, back at home after a 13 year career abroad. We also chat to Socceroos keeper Mat Ryan on the phone from Belgium about Australia's World Cup draw and life abroad and Daniel Garb joins us from London to talk about football in Europe, headlined by Manchester United's malaise.

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