A game of two halves at the Arena Khimki saw Manchester City fail to see out a two-goal lead and end up drawing 2-2 with Ahmed Musa’s CSKA Moscow in a Group E UEFA Champions League early kick-off.

City went into the encounter in high spirits following the clinical despatch of Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday in the Premier League, and the orchestrator of that win got them going in Moscow.

Despite the home side having the best chances in the opening minutes, with Musa and Zoran Tosic firing just wide, it was Sergio Agüero who picked up from where he left off with Spurs to break the deadlock.

Having scored all four on Saturday, Agüero put Manuel Pellegrini’s side ahead just before the half-hour mark as City beat CSKA’s offside trap, with Edin Dzeko teeing up the Argentine for an easy finish.

The goal is Agüero’s eighth in his last five matches in all competitions, as well as his fourth in matches against the Russian club.

The Argentine then had a hand in putting City 2-0 up 10 minutes later as James Milner was on hand to turn in his shot going across the CSKA goal, before the Englishman was denied by the woodwork a minute later as City settled for the 2-0 lead at the break.

A scrappy start to the second half soon settled in CSKA’s favour as Roman Eremenko went close with a volley just after the hour mark while Fernandes was denied by a Joe Hart save a minute later.

The Russians only needed to wait two more minutes before eventually pulling a goal back through half-time substitute Seydiu Doumbia who scored from close range off a Musa ball in.

That prompted a spell of more CSKA dominance which was rewarded when Natkho beat Hart from the spot after Aleksandr Kolarov was adjudged to have fouled Doumbia in the area.

Manchester City now face a massive task to qualify from Champions League Group E after allowing CSKA comeback.

The Premier League champions desperately needed a win in Moscow after an opening defeat to Bayern Munich and a draw with AS Roma.

The game was played out in sub-zero temperatures in an eerily empty Arena Khimki with CSKA serving a stadium ban as punishment for various offences including racist chanting.