Europa League: Manchester City v Sporting Lisbon – in pictures

With City trailing 1-0 from the first leg of this Europa League tie and having surrendered top spot in the Premier League to rivals United, it's a big game tonight for Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini. He needs to show his side have the talent to bounce back and get a result. If they don't then they'll be out of Europe Photograph: Lindsey Parnaby/EPA The start of the game is a busy affair with more substance than style on display so far. Here Sporting's Bruno Pereirinha and City's Aleksandar Kolarov go in hard Photograph: Nigel Roddis/Reuters Just after the half hour mark there's finally something for the fans to ooh and ahh over. From 22 yards out, Matias Fernandez curls a right-footed free-kick around the wall and between Joe Hart and his left post. The free-kick was needlessly given away by Mario Balotelli who pushed Emiliano Insua over. Mancini rightly lambasted his maverick striker for giving away the foul Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters Just seven mintues later things go from bad to worse for the home side when Ricky van Wolfswinkel scores a tap in to put the visitors 2-0 up. City must now score four goals to stay in the competition Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Sergio Agüero gives City hope on the hour mark with a tidy finish inside the box Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA In the 76th minute Agüero is tripped on the edge of the box and the referee points to the spot. Has the official just given the home side a way back into this tie? Maybe, as Mario Balotelli dispatches the penalty with minimal effort. The scores are now level on the night and City now need to score twice to go through Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images With six minutes to go, Agüero makes the impossible seem possible when he hooks the ball home at the back stick following Edin Dzeko's flick-on. Sporting's defenders claim offside but the officials disagree. The scores are now level on aggregate (3-3) but Sporting still have the advantage on away goals Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA In the last minute of injury time, Joe Hart comes charging up for a corner. This is City's last throw of the dice. The ball comes out to Nigel De Jong, who chips it towards the far post where Hart is waiting. The City goalkeeper gets a good head on the ball and directs it goalwards. Everyone in the stadium holds their breath ... Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters But Sporting's goalkeeper Rui Patricio just gets the faintest of touches to it and the ball goes inches past the post. So close, so agonizingly close Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images The final whistle goes and there's exaltation amongst the Sporting fans and players Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images ... but despair for the City players and fans. Tonight has seen both Manchester clubs knocked out of Europe, but now at least they can both focus on the Premier League Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images