The Citizens resume their European campaign, entering their clash with the Bundesliga outfit in the best form possible. Here’s a preview of Gladbach vs Man City.

Borussia M'gladbach vs Man City – preview

Man City resume their campaign to end their wait for a European title, with the English giants set to take on Borussia M'gladbach on Wednesday for the first leg of their round of 16 clash. As is the norm with the UEFA Champions League, this tie will take place at 3 p.m. ET, with the Citizens forced to travel to the Puskás Aréna in Budapest for the away leg due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Guardiola's side head into the clash in the best form possible. In fact, no team in Europe's top five leagues boast better form than the Premier League giants this season, with Gundogan and Co. winning an astonishing 18 games in a row, their most recent being a 1-0 triumph at Arsenal. That result moved them 10 points clear at the top, meaning the EPL title is all but destined to return to the Etihad Stadium.

However, the focus is now on Europe, where the Citizens have come up short several times under Guardiola. Last season, it was Lyon who shocked the Abu Dhabi-owned outfit, eliminating them in the quarter-finals. Tottenham, Liverpool, and Monaco also knocked them out of this competition in the seasons prior to that. As a result, it isn't too far-fetched to see Pep's men crashing out at the hands of M'gladbach.

The Stones-Dias partnership at the back has been the key element of Man City's resurgence. The Citizens have only conceded six goals during the aforementioned 18 consecutive wins, registering clean sheets in 12 of those fixtures. Guardiola will thus need his center-back pairing to be at their best once again as they will come face-to-face with a tricky striker in the form of Alassane Plea.

Gladbach's French forward played a crucial role in their progression, scoring an impressive five goals to help the club finish ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk and Serie A leaders Inter Milan in Group B. In the Bundesliga, he has been less prolific, netting only three times, but has contributed to 14 goals in his 25 outings this season.

One concern for the home side – this game will be played at a neutral venue but it is considered the home leg for Gladbach – is the Germans recent form. Die Fohlen have won only once in their last five fixtures, losing to the likes of Mainz and Koln while drawing with Union Berlin and Wolfsburg. Things were made worse by the confirmation that Marco Rose will be leaving at the end of the season, with the German tactician agreeing to jump ships for Dortmund. Given that Gladbach sit eighth in the German top-flight, this could be their last tie in the UCL for some time.

Team news

Gladbach: The home side have no injuries or suspensions for the first leg.

Man City: The injury crisis at the Etihad Stadium is all but over, with Nathan Ake being the only one left on the sidelines. De Bruyne was given an hour on the pitch against Arsenal to build up his fitness and could start once again. The same is true for Sergio Aguero as the Citizens look to welcome back their all-time leading goalscorer. Foden and Rodri, who were rested in the trip to north London, should return to the lineup.

Key stats

  • This is the eighth consecutive time Man City have reached the KO stage of the UEFA Champions League.

  • This is the seventh time the Citizens and Gladbach face off in Europe.

  • The Germans have never beaten the EPL giants in the UCL, drawing once and losing three times.

  • However, the only time these two clubs met in KO stage of a European competition was in the 1978/79 UEFA Cup quarter-finals, with Die Fohlen winning 4-2 on aggregate.

Broadcast listings

 

Match details, result and original broadcast info

Borussia M'gladbach 0 - 2 Manchester City

February 24, 2021 3:00pmPuskás Aréna (Budapest)

This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.

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