Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, centre, shoots and score his sides second goal during the Champions League Group D soccer match between Manchester City and Sevilla at the Etihad Stadium (Photo: AP)
Kevin De Bruyne scored an injury-time winner as Manchester City rallied to beat Sevilla 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday and continue its recovery in Group D.
Playing as a lone striker in the final minutes, the Belgium playmaker collected a pass from Yaya Toure, cut inside and drove a low left-footed shot inside the far post in the first of four minutes of stoppage time.
Yevhen Konoplyanka put Sevilla ahead in the 30th minute with a first-time shot from 12 meters (yards) as the Spanish team caused City problems on the counter-attack in an open game at Etihad Stadium.
Sevilla defender Adil Rami unwittingly bundled the ball into his own net in the 36th to pull City level against the run of play.
City began group play with a home loss to Juventus, but has now won two straight games to lie second in the group — a point behind the Italian club. Sevilla is third on three points.
It looked like being another disappointing Champions League night at home for City, who had previously won only three of nine games under manager Manuel Pellegrini at the Etihad in Europe's top competition since 2013.
But De Bruyne rescued victory, repaying another chunk of the 55 million pounds ($85 million) fee City paid to Wolfsburg for his services this summer. He has now scored five goals in nine games for City.
Konoplyanka had already struck the post with a free kick from an acute angle by the time he gave Sevilla the lead. The ball ricocheted kindly into the path of Vitolo, and the midfielder cut back a cross from the right that Konoplyanka met with a first-time shot past goalkeeper Joe Hart, who was unsighted by Kevin Gameiro in front of him.
Wilfried Bony is filling in for injured striker Sergio Aguero and scored twice at the weekend in a 5-1 win against Bournemouth in the Premier League. He was celebrating scoring City's equalizer here, too, although it will go down as an own goal by Rami.
Toure beat his marker on the byline and drove over a cross toward Raheem Sterling, whose shot was parried out by goalkeeper Sergio Rico. Bony stuck out his foot and the ball hit Rami's knee before rebounding into the net.
The second half was tighter, although Sevilla looked more likely to score and Gameiro will rue the chance he missed in the 69th minute when he failed to turn the ball into an empty net. Gameiro also missed a superb chance late in the first half.
When Bony was substituted in the 76th minute, De Bruyne was the surprise choice to play up front. Pellegrini's decision paid off big time.
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