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Monchengladbach played host to the current Premier League leaders, Manchester City. Monchengladbach is currently 8th in the German League. City are in form and it should not be a problem for them to get the crucial away goal and they did. Sterling captained the side on the night.
The first real chance fell to Sterling in the 6th minute when he was played through into the box. He had a touch too much and his effort was quickly blocked for a corner kick.
Not to be denied for long, a wayward and careless pass was given away to City in the 28th minute which Joao Cancelo pounced on. His brilliant delivery into the box found Bernado Silva and he wonderfully nodded the ball home. It was an impressive goal seeing he is not the one with the height advantage but he managed to get to the end of that lovely delivery to put his side ahead. Crucial away goal there.
Just before half time, Gabriel Jesus found Foden and rather than put a delivery in he went for the goal himself but his effort went wide and over. Guardiola won't be happy with that and Gundogan was obviously not happy with it too because he was perfectly stationed in the box already for a cross in.
The half time ended and it was that solitary goal that separated the two sides.
In the 54th minute, another wayward back pass was stolen by Gabriel Jesus. Rather than take his shot early, he wasted too much time on the ball and the defender quickly blocked the ball at his feet. He should have been fast there.
City showed their sloppy and indecisive side in the 58th minute when Gladbach kept giving the ball away. They failed to pounce on it as Bernado Silva's effort to have a clean strike was taken out twice, first when Cancelo found him with a long pass and when Foden found him inside the box.
Gladbach had a chance of their own to at least get a goal in the 58th minute after City got bundled off the ball and Zakaria's play through ball was too much for his teammate to get to. The goalkeeper gathered it cleanly. Gladbach didn't want to be rolled over and they had another chance in the 62nd minute when Zakaria again found Plea in the box and his brilliant back-heel attempt just narrowly missed the other side of the post. What a goal that would have been.
The lovely connection between Cancelo and Bernado Silva came into play again in the 65th minute when another excellent delivery by Cancelo found Bernado Silva in the box. He unselfishly headed his effort across goal and Gabriel Jesus was on had to poke it home to make it 2-0. City had to quickly respond and put the game beyond Gladbach who were beginning to find their feet in the game. It was a perfect response from City on the night.
In the 77th minute, Cancelo had another delivery into the box and this time for Gundogan who had a knockdown for Foden but Foden couldn't keep his effort down. Mahrez didn't have enough touch in the 82nd minute after being played through in the box by Gabriel Jesus. He drove in and the angle was closed down on him. He managed to hit the ball but there was no real power there.
Rodri almost ruined Ederson's clean sheet and that would have given Gladbach hope for the second leg. His wayward back pass in the 93rd minute was pounced on by Wolf whose attempt to score was quickly saved by Ederson to preserve his clean sheet.
The game ended 0-2 in favour of City and it is a good advantage to hold on to for the second leg of the tie.
Thank you for your time.
My pen doesn't bleed, it speaks, with speed and ease.
Still me,
My tongue is like the pen of a ready writer.
Olawalium; (Love's chemical content, in human form). Take a dose today: doctor's order.
I like this man from when he was in Barcelona.
Classy coach. I like him too.