Manchester City vs. Gladbach: Winners and Losers from Champions League
Raheem Sterling scored twice in as many second-half minutes as Manchester City came from behind to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 4-2 on Tuesday to seal first place in UEFA Champions League Group D.
The hosts went ahead in the first half through David Silva's emphatic finish, but Gladbach took a 2-1 lead into the break after goals from Julian Korb and Raffael.
City improved in the second half but had to wait until the 80th minute for Sterling's close-range equalizer. Just one minute later, however, the England man marked his 21st birthday with his second strike of the night, a curler from the edge of the box.
Wilfried Bony completed the scoring in the 85th minute to send City to the top of Group D ahead of Juventus, who lost 1-0 at Sevilla.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Raheem Sterling
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This is just a guess, but this birthday will probably rank among Raheem Sterling's most memorable.
On the night he turned 21, Sterling scored two crucial goals in as many minutes to send Manchester City into the Champions League round of 16 as Group D winners. According to OptaJoe, just 112 seconds separated the two strikes.
The first, a side-footed finish from close range, drew City level at 2-2 after 35 minutes of almost constant pressure. And once the hosts had broken through, the second—a gorgeous curler—almost felt inevitable.
But saying so would be incorrect. With 10 minutes left in the match, it was unclear that City, for all their domination in the second half, would be able to pull level. Sterling himself had missed a few chances to score the equalizer, and Borussia Monchengladbach must have fancied their chances to finish off the win and qualify for the Europa League.
Credit to City and Sterling, then, for refusing to quit until the final whistle. Their commitment to attacking for the full 90 led to not only a satisfying win but also first place in the group.
At the Manchester Evening News, James Robson wrote:
"Sterling had missed a couple of decent chances before finally finding the back of the net, but this was one of his finest nights in a blue shirt.
He had a part in all of the goals - scoring twice and helping to create the other two.
Pellegrini bought him to be the difference in Europe—and he was exactly that on the night.
"
After the match, Sterling shared his joy with UEFA.com: "It's brilliant [to top the group]," he said. "We worked hard; we deserve it. We made it hard and difficult at times but we won today and showed character and hopefully now we can carry it on into the next stage."
Loser: Gladbach's Impressive Run
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Before Tuesday night, Borussia Monchengladbach were enjoying a remarkable unbeaten run under new manager Andre Schubert. The Foals had gone 12 matches unbeaten, a stretch that included an impressive 3-1 victory over Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich at the weekend.
Through 79 minutes at the Etihad, Gladbch appeared set to extend that run. Julian Korb and Raffael netted in the first half to give the visitors a deserved lead at the break. But the Foals fell apart in the final 10 minutes, allowing three goals and imploding at the back.
City deserve credit, of course, for their relentless attacking pressure. But Gladbach will be disappointed with how they capitulated in the closing moments, especially because defeat meant Sevilla finished third to clinch a spot in the Europa League.
Gladbach so nearly pulled off a win at the Etihad, but now they're out of Europe.
Winner: David Silva
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David Silva scored the game's first goal in the 16th minute with an emphatic finish from a tight angle on the left. Raheem Sterling set it up with a brilliant flick, picking out Silva's late run into the box.
Sterling will deservedly draw the plaudits for his performance in this game, but Silva's continued run of form following injury is good news for City. Since coming back from his layoff, Silva has been highly influential for the Sky Blues.
Tuesday's goal only underlined his importance to the team.
Loser: City's Defense
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The late comeback will be the story, but it won't obscure the fact that Manchester City have problems at the back.
Borussia Monchengladbach scored twice in the first half, and on both occasions, City's defense was too static. The center-back pairing of Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala was unable to mask the deficiencies of Gael Clichy at right-back.
"Otamendi too slow, Clichy and Mangala too slow to react," tweeted Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News following Gladbach's first goal, converted by Julian Korb.
"Statuesque defending from City again," he added after Raffael gave the visitors the lead late in the half.
Before kickoff, OptaJoe noted that City had not kept a clean sheet in a Champions League match at the Etihad Stadium since December 2011. Without center-back Vincent Kompany in the lineup, City often couldn't cope.
The win will alleviate some of these concerns, but manager Manuel Pellegrini knows he must shore up his back line ahead of the knockout stage.
Winner: Wilfried Bony
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Wilfried Bony found himself on the bench at the start of Tuesday's match. That was no surprise. The big striker was one of the casualties of Man City's surprising 2-0 loss at Stoke City in the Premier League over the weekend.
So Bony will be pleased to have scored City's fourth goal in the 85th minute. Sure, the goal owed something to luck after his first shot was blocked. But scoring is always good for a striker's confidence, and with Sergio Aguero currently out injured, City need Bony at his very best.
