MAN CITY 4, BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH 2
What drama as Manchester City produced a remarkable and unlikely fightback to snatch an importable Champions League victory against Borussia Monchengladbach.
The impressive Germans were 2-1 ahead with 10 minutes left as City, needing victory to stand a chance of topping group D, had been strangely out of sorts.
City came back from the dead scoring three goals in five minutes and, coupled with Sevilla defeating Juventus, Manuel Pellegrini’s side pipped the Italians for top spot.
Raheem Sterling, who had a frustrating night on his 21st birthday, suddenly came good scoring twice in the space of a minute while substitute Wilfried Bony completed the comeback.
Pellegrini was delighted with City’s second-half display saying that is the level they need to produce of they are to achieve success in Europe’s premier club competition.
But he said the main objective was achieved two games ago when they qualified for the round of 16.
He said: “We had achieved our main target and had already qualified.
“The target tonight was to win the game and see what happened in the Sevilla v Juventus game.”
And Pellegrini admitted City had been in a “group of death” as all four teams were European heavyweights.
He said: “For me this isn’t so easy. We are playing in the next round and it’s good for English football.
“I am sorry for them (Manchester United). For England, it’s not good not to qualify.”
Pellegrini added that topping the group only means they avoid Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid for one further round.
And there was praise from Pellegrini for Sterling on this special day.
“As he was 21 today, I said the minimum was to score two goals. It was an important night for him,” he explained.
City made four changes from the side that kicked off Saturday’s league game at Stoke City.
There were recalls for Gael Clichy and Eliaquim Mangala in defence along with Fabian Delph and Yaya Toure in midfield.
The players to lose out were Bacary Sagna, Martin Demichelis, Fernando Reges and Bony.
Borussia, with eight wins and two draws in their last 10 domestic matches, began like a side brimming with confidence.
They had a couple of early goal attempts, but both cleared the crossbar.
But it was City that took the lead in the 16th minute through a wonderfully crafted goal as Sterling’s delightful back heel released David Silva who found the net from a tight angle as he smashed a shot into the roof of the net.
It was only the second goal of an injury-plagued season and the first since the opening league game of the season, a win at West Brom.
City were only able to hold on to their lead for three minutes as battling Borussia quickly drew level.
Fabian Johnson crossed from the left and the ball deflected off Lars Stindl into the path of Julian Korb whose low shot arrowed across the face of goal into the far corner of the net.
And buoyant Borussia took the lead three minutes before half time through another well-worked goal.
Oscar Wendt crossed from the left, Stindl provided the flick and Raffael steered a shot low past stranded keeper Joe Hart.
City almost got back on level terms just short of the hour when Nico Elvedi’s chest back to Yann Sommer was intercepted by Sterling, but the keeper made a vital block to preserve the German’s lead.
Silva and Sterling both had shots straight at Sommer and, had they been placed to either side of the keeper, then it would surely have been 2-2.
Sommer pulled off a stunning save low to his left to keep out a scorching shot from Sterling.
City brought on Bony and Jesus Navas midway through the second period and they were to help transform their fortunes.
The game was suddenly turned on its head when Sterling scored twice for City in little over 60 second as they came from nowhere to seize to top spot in the group as Juventus were losing at Sevilla. Had the Italians avoided defeat, they would have topped the group, despite City’s success.
Navas, Clichy and Bony were involved in the built up with Sterling applying the finish from seven yards to make it 2-2.
And barely had the game resumed than Sterling was on target again running on to a flick from substitute Bony to curl home a delightful shot to the left of Sommer.
City scored a third goal in five minutes when Aleksandar Kolarov crossed from the left and Bony dug the ball out from beneath his feet before shooting low past Sommer to complete a remarkable turnabout.
Borussia could have scored a third goal in the last minute when Thorgan Hazard, brother of Chelsea’s Eden, forced a fabulous save from Hart in what had been an enthralling finish to the game as City snatched top spot in their group.