MANCHESTER City and Monaco played an absolute barn-burner Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League tie.

    In an eight-goal match, City rattled off three in a row after the 70-minute mark to go from 3-2 down to 5-3 up and take the first leg in resounding fashion.

    But the Sky Blues aren’t out of the water yet. The three away goals gives Monaco a significant advantage in the return leg, if they can manage to get a two-goal margin again and keep it.

    Although the circumstances changed by the minute in this match, City got on top early and appeared to be the team to beat. Raheem Sterling will have his name beside the 26th minute goal, but it was all Leroy Sane. The Belgian international danced past a group of Monaco defenders into the box before crossing to Sterling.

    That lead, like most in this match, was short-lived. Falcao leveled the score at 1-1 in the 36th with a diving header to give him 14 goals in his last 15 matches. Eight minutes later, Monaco was up 2-1. Eighteen-year-old Frenchman Kylian Mbappe burst onto the world scene with an extraordinary performance in this match. He thundered a volley into the back of the net on the counter, putting his prodigious skill on full display.

    After halftime, City was able to re-establish itself in the match. In the 58th, Sergio Aguero benefited from a blunder by Monaco keeper Danijel Subasic when the Croatian let an easily-saved shot slip through his hands.

    Once again, however, it appeared to be Monaco’s day. This time, City’s lead lasted all of three minutes. On the break, Falcao bullied John Stones before an ingenious chip beat Willy Caballero to give Monaco a one-goal lead once again.

    Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said the experience of the exhilarating 5-3 victory over Monaco would stand his side in good stead in the competition.

    City is in control of the last-16 tie ahead of the return leg March 15, but at several moments during the first leg their European destiny appeared to be hanging by a thread.

    “A lot of things happened, but in the moment we were lucky. We were stable mentally,” Guardiola told BT Sport at the Etihad Stadium.

    “The old and young guys in the team played amazing. To live this experience helps us a lot in the future.

    “Monaco has more history than us in the competition and you need this kind of experience to learn and improve.

    “Of course anything can happen in Monaco and we have to score goals. We think in attack: attack, attack, attack.”

    He added: “The result is OK. It could be better, could be worse, but it is what it is.”

    “The first thing I say is today is one of the most exciting games in the Champions League this year,” said Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim.

    “For the supporters it’s very good. I think everyone stayed happy, watching the two teams.

    “There was lots of attacking quality, eight goals. I think today Monaco played a great game.”

    (SD-Agencies)