Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus were on target as Manchester City put one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals with an assured 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach

Pep Guardiola's side dominated the vast majority of this last-16 first leg and the City manager might have been frustrated by the failure to turn that into a more commanding lead until Jesus prodded in after 65 minutes.

Silva and Joao Cancelo created that goal after the Portugal duo had also combined for the 29th-minute opener, with the full-back's dipping delivery from the left for his diminutive compatriot to head home a truly sublime moment.

It brings a familiar hurdle into sight for the Premier League leaders, who have fallen at the quarter-final stage in each of the past three seasons.

Gladbach soon found themselves hemmed in by City's slick passing and astute pressing, with last-ditch challenges needed to thwart Jesus and Raheem Sterling.

Guardiola's men were content to bide their time and the opener arrived just before the half hour, with Silva nodding in Cancelo's sumptuous cross from deep at the back post.

Ramy Bensebaini sloppily gave the ball to Jesus in the 53rd minute but he hesitated and let Nico Elvedi get back to make a goal-saving challenge.

A rare moment of encouragement arrived for Gladbach as the hour approached, with Denis Zakaria powering past Rodri but overhitting a pass into the City box that Ederson swept up easily.

The Brazil goalkeeper was scampering in the 63rd minute when Alassane Plea's audacious flick bounced just beyond the far post.

Those minor scares roused City and Jesus showed sharp poaching instincts when Silva again played the unlikely role of back-post target man to tee him up.

When Phil Foden thrashed over from Ilkay Gundogan's 78th-minute knockdown, it was no surprise that Cancelo's chipped ball into the box crafted the opening.

A careless pass in stoppage time from Rodri gave Gladbach substitute Hannes Wolf a chance to reduce the deficit but Ederson prevailed in their one-on-one.
 

What does it mean? Savvy City look primed to push for glory

As Gladbach failed to register a single touch inside their opponents' box during the first half at Budapest's Puskas Arena, it was impossible to imagine this City getting involved in the sort of Champions League firefights that have proved their downfall – ties finishing 6-6 and 4-4 on aggregate against Monaco and Tottenham, only to depart on away goals, springing instantly to mind.

Such total control means Guardiola's team are unlikely to quicken the pulse as they did on those occasions but it makes the one major honour to have eluded the Catalan in Manchester a far more likely prospect.

What's next

City host in-form West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday, when Gladbach travel to title-chasing RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

Marco Rose insists Borussia Monchengladbach "can't really lose" when they go up against Manchester City in the Champions League, as he challenged his players to be courageous in the last-16 tie. 

Gladbach sprung a surprise by making it out of their group behind Real Madrid, having qualified for the knockout stages by finishing above Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter. 

Now the Bundesliga side face the runaway Premier League leaders without the benefit of playing at home. Due to travel restrictions in Germany amid the coronavirus pandemic, the first leg takes place on Wednesday in the Hungarian capital of Budapest. 

Rose – who is leaving at the end of the season to take charge at domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund – acknowledges the underdogs will have to defend well to keep Pep Guardiola's in-form side at bay, though he also stressed the importance of being brave in possession if they are to have any chance of springing a huge surprise. 

"When you're Borussia Monchengladbach and you're playing a Champions League last-16 match against Manchester City, you can't really lose," Rose told the media.

"It's basically just a big thing for the club to be playing in the Champions League and we have always said that we want to prove ourselves and show what we can do.  

"We've done that really well so far. The lads should enjoy the game, that's part of the occasion. But they also have to be ready to show what they can do.  

"Above all, it's about defending well and playing with courage. If there's one thing that City really don't like, then it's not having the ball."

Gladbach – who have reached the knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition for the first time in 43 years – will be without Torben Musel and Famana Quizera for the first leg.

They will come up against opponents who have not lost since November 21, with a 1-0 triumph away at Arsenal on Sunday stretching City's unbeaten run in all competitions to 25 games.

"I don't think that I need to motivate the lads in any way. They've earned this evening," Rose said ahead of the game at the Puskas Arena.

"I hope that the players reflect again on what they have already achieved in the group stage and that they approach this game with passion and courage, but also a willingness to suffer.

"We will try to always make inroads going forward. If my team plays to the best of their ability, then a good result is absolutely possible."

City are unbeaten against Gladbach in the Champions League, having won three times and drawn once in previous meetings.

Jesse Marsch has been tipped to replace Marco Rose at Borussia Monchengladbach and Karim Adeyemi is confident the Salzburg boss will continue to have a successful coaching career.

It was announced this week that former Salzburg boss Rose will leave Gladbach at the end of the season to take over Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund.

Marsch replaced Rose at Salzburg in 2019 after a season working under Ralf Rangnick at RB Leipzig and is considered to be one of the leading candidates to take over at Gladbach.

The American led Salzburg to a league and cup double in his first season at the helm and they sit three points clear at top of the Austrian Bundesliga this term, while they will take on Villarreal in the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie on Thursday.

Asked if Marsch could enjoy as much success as Rose, Salzburg forward Adeyemi told Stats Perform News: "Yes, of course. They wouldn't let him coach here if they didn't think further.

"But I think he does it really well. His career as coach so far has been great. We will see how everything continues."

Adeyemi does not expect Marsch or the team to become distracted by talk of an impending exit for the Salzburg boss.

"As I said quite often, I am focusing on the present. Whatever happens will happen," said Adeyemi.

"I think his focus and our focus as a team is 100 per cent here, and I think he doesn't care about the future now, but rather focuses on our tasks and how we perform as a team.

"He is 100 per cent focusing on us. We all like that and that's how it should be."

On what makes Marsch such a strong coach, Adeyemi said: "What makes him so special is that he is always with you. It doesn't matter whether it's on or off the pitch, he's always there for you.

"He listens to you or gives you some advice. On the pitch he is always focused and wants to help you. Even if you don't play he tries to support you. I think there are coaches that don't do that. He is not like that, he always tries to help you.

"That's what characterises a good coach and I think that's super."

Marco Rose has offered assurances he will not try to take any Borussia Monchengladbach players with him when he joins Borussia Dortmund next season.

It was confirmed on Monday that Rose had made use of an exit clause in his Gladbach contract and agreed to take over at Signal Iduna Park from the 2021-22 campaign.

Dortmund have also been linked with a move for Germany international Florian Neuhaus, who has established himself as a key figure under Rose at Borussia Park.

However, Rose ruled out the possibility of any players following him to Dortmund.

Asked specifically if he would oppose the BVB hierarchy if they wished to sign a Gladbach player, he said: "Yes, I would say that.

"If Marco Rose says he won't take a player to Borussia Dortmund, then he won't take a player to Borussia Dortmund. Period."

He added: "Despite my move in the summer, 100 per cent of my energy is in my work here. There had been pressure growing, so I had to make a gut decision and the challenge in Dortmund is what appeals to me.

"I'm very happy to be here and want to carry on until the summer. It was not an easy decision to leave, but one I had to make to calm the situation.

"I completely understand the fans' disappointment. It was a personal decision, but I have always given my best here and will continue to do so until the summer."

Gladbach are in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Bundesliga and have a Champions League last-16 tie with Manchester City approaching.

Sporting director Max Eberl is confident Rose's departure will not be the catalyst for a mass exodus at Gladbach.

"Every player wants to know who his coach will be in the future. We will continue the current discussions with the players and I am convinced that we will continue with them successfully," said Eberl.

"[The club is] not dependent on individual people. I am almost dismayed that it seems that people do not trust that the club will emerge from this situation even stronger."

Jesse Marsch has been tipped to replace Rose at Gladbach, having also succeeded him at Salzburg in 2019, but Eberl was unwilling to comment on the rumours and said there is no rush to appoint a new head coach.

"We will start to take a close look at which coaches could suit Borussia. I will go about by my job in time, but I definitely won't be commenting on any names that we have been linked with," said Eberl.

Marco Rose will leave Borussia Monchengladbach to become Borussia Dortmund's new head coach at the end of the season.

Dortmund appointed Edin Terzic until the end of the campaign after Lucien Favre – with whom he had worked as an assistant – was sacked in December, but the 38-year-old has seemingly not done enough to earn the job on a permanent basis.

Favre was dismissed on the back of a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Stuttgart and Terzic initially made a strong impression, winning four of his first five matches in charge, including a 3-1 victory at RB Leipzig.

But just two wins – one of which was in extra time against second-tier Paderborn – in seven games since has left Terzic under pressure.

It seems he will continue until the end of the season, but from then on Rose will take over, according to Gladbach.

A brief Gladbach statement read: "Marco Rose has opted to leave Gladbach at the end of the season and join Borussia Dortmund."

While Dortmund had not confirmed the appointment at the time, Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl added: "We have had many discussions with each other in the past few weeks about Marco's future.

"Unfortunately, he has now decided that he would like to make use of a clause in his contract, which runs until June 2022, and switch to Borussia Dortmund in the summer.

"If the conditions stipulated in his contract are met on time, he will no longer be available to us after the end of the season.

"Until then we will mobilise all our strengths together with Marco to achieve our goals in the Bundesliga, the DFB-Pokal and the Champions League."

Marco Rose will leave Borussia Monchengladbach to become Borussia Dortmund's new head coach at the end of the season.

Page 4 of 4
© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.