Champions League soccer: Manchester City's Raheem Sterling gets 11-minute hat trick

Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Raheem Sterling logged a hat trick while Sergio Aguero scored twice in Manchester City's UEFA Champions League win against Atalanta.

Sterling scored in the 58th, 64th and 69th minutes during the Sky Blues' 5-1 win Tuesday at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England. Aguero scored both of his goals in the first half of the Group C triumph.

"All the credit is for [Sterling]," Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola told reporters. "He's a guy whose physicality is incredible. He is so strong. Day after a game, he could play another.

"His regeneration is incredible; he can play both sides. He is an extraordinary player."

Atalanta took a 1-0 lead after Ruslan Malinovskiy netted a penalty kick in the 28th minute. Sterling assisted the equalizer in the 34th minute. The Sky Blues striker chipped a ball into the Atalanta box during the sequence. Aguero tapped the feed past Atalanta keeper Pierluigi Gollini, tying the score at 1-1.

Aguero gave the Sky Blues a 2-1 lead with a penalty kick in the 38th minute after Sterling was fouled in the box. The Sky Blues held the one-goal advantage through halftime, before Sterling added some insurance.

Phil Foden received a short pass from Aguero during Sterling's first scoring sequence. Foden pushed a pass to his left, finding Sterling. The Sky Blues striker ripped a shot past a diving Gollini for a 3-1 edge.

Sterling's second score came after he received a wonderful through ball from midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. Sterling ran onto the pass and blazed into the box before making a quick move on a defender and beating Gollini at the near post.

Riyad Mahrez assisted Sterling's final score by chipping a ball into the box from the right side. Sterling tracked down the pass and volleyed a shot past Gollini for the final goal of the game.

"I should have had four," Sterling told BT Sport. "Riyad set me up for the last one ... But we were clinical. There is no point scoring goals if you let in easy ones."

Manchester City returns to Premier League play with a match against Aston Villa at 7:30 a.m. EDT Saturday at Etihad Stadium. The Sky Blues rematch with Atalanta in the Champions League at 3 p.m. Nov. 6 in Milan, Italy. Manchester City sits in second place in the Premier League and tops the Group C Champions League standings with a 3-0 record.