Eliaquim Mangala Coming of Age at Manchester City After Champions League Display

The performance may have been poor, but Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping Manchester City’s 3-2 win over Bayern Munich, which came courtesy of two late Sergio Aguero strikes, will kick-start their season.

It wasn’t vintage City. In fact, much of their play was lacklustre and disjointed, but a win over one of the best sides in world football in a match of extreme importance will surely lift the players and the fans and give them self-belief that City belong in a competition in which they have struggled over recent seasons.

There were a number of welcome subplots during the Bayern win, too. Aguero continued his almost one-man campaign to keep City’s season positive, and Gael Clichy, who has struggled badly for much of the current campaign, played well up against Arjen Robben. There are few sterner tests for a left-back than keeping the Dutchman quiet.

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Add to that the continued brilliance of 36-year-old Frank Lampard, whose loan spell from New York City FC must surely be extended, and the bright spots begin to overshadow some of the darker elements of the game.

But perhaps the most pleasing revelation for Pellegrini will have been the performance of his much-maligned £32 million summer transfer from Porto. Eliaquim Mangala has been on the receiving end of unyielding criticism in recent weeks, much of which has been unfair, but he showed on Tuesday that he brings quality to this City side and deserved to play in such a high-stakes game.

Dropping or resting (whichever way you look at these things) Martin Demichelis was a huge call from Pellegrini. Since March, the 33-year-old has been one of City’s best and most consistent performers, having turned around the patchy form he showed when he first came into the side.

But Pellegrini went for Mangala for the must-win match, with his strength and aerial ability seen as a more potent antidote to Bayern’s array of attacking stars. Pellegrini’s bold decision was justified.

Mangala wasn’t perfect. He clumsily gave away the free-kick that led to Xabi Alonso’s equaliser, although the wall Joe Hart set up must surely be blamed for the ease with which the former Real Madrid midfielder hit the ball low and into the net.

But barring that one aberration, he looked like a player growing into his role at one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Let’s not forget, he’s just 23 and has played only a handful of games on a stage far bigger than he is used to. The vociferous reaction he’s had has largely ignored some of the mitigating circumstances he’s faced as a relatively inexperienced player playing in a new league.

City’s form has been poor. There has been a nervousness transmitted across their squad that very few have been immune to, particularly down the left, where Clichy has been seen floundering on too many occasions. It’s seen Mangala cruelly exposed—left to deal with far too many crosses and one-on-one situations.

His passage into the first team would have been much simpler had his team-mates given him more support.

But this win will have done him a world of good. Not since his wonderful debut against Chelsea has he played with such assuredness, and the way he celebrated with the rest of the squad when Aguero hit the vital last-minute winner was telling. He will be beginning to feel more and more a part of this squad.

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There are clearly areas he can improve. His distribution is still letting him down, and concentration remains somewhat of an issue, but anyone who has seen him play must surely have been struck by the natural attributes he possesses: unbelievable pace and strength, an ability to leap and dominate attackers and his proactive, front-foot defending.

He is far from the finished article, but City, it seems, have bought a player who can be moulded into one of the best. 

Sometimes, it takes a special moment to foster belief and make a player feel comfortable. The win over Bayern may well prove to be Mangala’s.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2014-15 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.