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Borussia Monchengladbach logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Sep 30, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
Manchester City logo

1-2

Stindl (54')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Otamendi (65'), Aguero (90' pen.)

Live Commentary: Borussia Monchengladbach 1-2 Manchester City - as it happened

Take a look back at a dramatic Champions League game between Borussia Monchengladbach and Manchester City as Sergio Aguero snatches three points for the visitors.
2

Manchester City came from behind to claim their first points in Group D with a 2-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Despite missing a penalty when Joe Hart denied Raffael, it was Gladbach who were in charge when Lars Stindl slotted home early in the second half.

However, City hit back with an equaliser from Nicolas Otamendi before Sergio Aguero clinched the win with a 90th-minute penalty.

Read below to find out how the action unfolded.


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Good evening everyone! After last night's drama, we are certain to see plenty of twists and turns in the Champions League. You can follow the action from Borussia Monchengladbach and Manchester City right here as both sides look to recover from the defeats they suffered a fortnight ago.

There is plenty of focus on the English teams this evening, so fans of the Bundesliga will forgive me for keeping City in the spotlight as they look to lift Premier League spirits after losses for Chelsea and Arsenal last night. Manuel Pellegrini could not do anything wrong a few weeks ago, but three losses in four games in all competitions means the Chilean and his squad are under pressure to deliver tonight.

It all seemed to be going so well for City after they claimed a 1-0 lead over Juventus at the Etihad Stadium, before goals from Mario Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata condemned them to defeat on the first matchday. A loss on the first night puts so much pressure on this game, and with a double header against the impressive Sevilla to come, City need to assert their dominance at Borussia Park.


MONCHENGLADBACH: Sommer, Korb, Christensen, Dominguez, Wendt, Xhaka, Dahoud, Herrmann, Johnson, Stindl, Raffael
SUBS: Nordtveit, Drmic, Hazard, Traore, Schulz, Hahn, Heimeroth

Andre Schubert makes just one change to his Gladbach side after their win over Stuttgart at the weekend. Alvaro Dominguez is the man to come in for the hosts in place of Havard Nordtveit. Raffael looks set to lead the attack, but with support arriving from the likes of Patrick Herrmann and Lars Stindl, expect plenty of roaming from the creative players.

MAN CITY: Hart, Sagna, Otamendi, Demichelis, Kolarov, Fernandinho, Toure, Sterling, De Bruyne, Silva, Aguero
SUBS: Caballero, Zabaleta, Maffeo, Evans, Fernando, Barker, Navas

Pellegrini is still without captain Vincent Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala, which means Nicolas Otamendi and Martin Demichelis partner each other in central defence after their struggles in the 4-1 loss to Spurs at the weekend. Joe Hart and David Silva both return in a move which will see Yaya Toure play slightly deeper alongside Fernandinho.

Interesting choice of music from the visitors. Justin Timberlake hardly sends the opposition running scared, does he?


David Silva is back, and even after their recent struggles, that must fill City fans with confidence. Pellegrini's side certainly missed his creativity and ability to retain possession in their second-half collapse against Spurs at the weekend. Quite simply, they are a better side with him available and it will be intriguing to see how he works with Kevin De Bruyne tonight.

If this game took place a couple of weeks ago, you would be putting your wages on City. However, facing Gladbach is a different prospect once again. After starting the Bundesliga campaign with five successive defeats and losing to Sevilla in the Group D opener, Lucien Favre walked away from the club. Despite leading them to third spot last season, Favre felt a change was best for all involved and Schubert has since led the side to back-to-back wins. At their best, Gladbach are a very dangerous side full of attacking talent. City must be careful.


KEY PLAYER: For those of you not familiar with the weekly action from the Bundesliga, Lars Stindl could be the man to keep an eye on tonight. After leaving Hannover in the summer to join up with Gladbach, it has not always been easy for the creative attacker but he has been crucial to their response in the last two weeks. Once linked with Liverpool, the 27-year-old will be a constant threat to Fernandinho, who must be wary when he drops between the visiting midfield and defence.

These two sides have met just twice before in competitive fixtures. The meetings came in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1979. Gladbach were triumphant 4-2 on aggregate and they would go on to win the competition that year.

It might only be the second matchday, but there is no doubt that both of these sides know how damaging a loss would be this evening. Otamendi has admitted that City must pick up all three points to give themselves the best chance of progressing.

"Once you are in Europe you have to be at your absolute best to compete in that competition too. We're under no illusions that the only option we've got is to go out and get three points – it's a must-win game," the Argentine told reporters.



PREDICTION: It could be another tough night for English clubs, but we all know that City can run away with games when they start well. Gladbach will refuse to sit back and invite pressure. They have the attackers to worry the visitors. I'm expecting goals. Time to sit on the fence. 2-2.

A quick reminder that you can follow live text coverage of every other Champions League game tonight by clicking on the match in the live scores box. There will also be match analysis and player ratings from the biggest games. Plenty of drama on the way!

The players are out on the pitch at Borussia Park. Just a few handshakes to get out of the way. There is so much at stake this evening.

KICKOFF! Gladbach get the game underway with the home fans making plenty of noise already. This is a tough away night for Pellegrini's City side.

Neither team have looked comfortable in possession early on. More than a few mistakes already as Johnson plays in Raffael, who slices wide from a difficult angle.

CHANCE! City should be ahead. A nervy start is quickly forgotten as Kolarov plays in Sterling, who delivers a brilliant low cross to the back post. Aguero looks set to add the finishing touch on the slide but Sommer gets across to make the stop.

Much better from Pellegrini's side. City are controlling the tempo of the game now as they move the ball across the pitch to bring Gladbach to them. It could be a matter of patience at times, but both of these sides are keen to get on the front foot.

Kolarov is seeing plenty of the ball in the early stages. The Serbian and Sterling have linked up well this season and the former is close to finding Aguero with an inviting cross. City then win a corner when De Bruyne's cross is turned behind at the back post.

CHANCE! Gladbach almost take the lead on the break. A corner is cleared to De Bruyne, who is unable to connect with the volley from 25 yards. The hosts race clear with Raffael, who plays in Herrmann but his low effort drifts just past the post.

It really is an excellent game to watch, with both sides looking dangerous in possession. Silva invites pressure from a couple of defenders before finding Sterling, whose effort is deflected behind for a corner.

Demichelis has been very poor in the early stages. He saves himself with a vital interception after a sloppy pass encouraged Stindl to look for the run of Raffael, whose pace must be a concern for the visiting defence.

City should be happy with how often they are finding De Bruyne and Sterling, but they will want to see Silva receiving the ball 10 yards further up the pitch. It is the visitors who are asking the questions at the moment.

PENALTY! Gladbach have been given a great chance to take the led, but I'm not sure about this decision. Raffael beats three defenders on the way into the box. Otamendi goes to ground, but the Gladbach attacker does seem to go down before contact.

PENALTY SAVED! Superb from Hart! He makes Raffael wait for a bit longer before guessing correctly to make a fine save. It was a good height, but you have to give the credit to Hart.

CHANCE! Incredible football on show. Hart claims a corner moments after penalty and releases Aguero with a fantastic kick out of the hands. Aguero sprints clear of the last defender, but he fires just wide of the post. Can Gladbach recover after that disappointment?

It might not be much fun for the two managers, but this has been a fantastic start to the Group D clash. City have played pretty well going forward, while Gladbach are such a threat on the break. Surprisingly, the missed penalty does not seem to have dented their confidence.

Raffael's confidence should never be in question. He turns away from a defender on the edge of the box before unleashing a wayward shot which Hart watches sail over the crossbar.

Much better from the visitors. Silva gets on the ball close to the box and finds De Bruyne, whose cutback is intercepted before it can reach Aguero.

It doesn't matter about his recent form. Aguero is always a threat. He does brilliantly to bring down a lobbed ball on the chest before taking on the shot early to just miss the post with the shot from the edge of the box.

It is City dominating possession, but their final product hasn't always been great. De Bruyne slices a first-time volleyed cross after another clever pass from Silva.

SAVE! Fantastic goalkeeping from Hart once again. Korb's through ball is inch-perfect for Raffael but Hart sprints off his line to make it difficult and keep out the shot from the forward. These stops could be vital from the England number one.

SAVE! Hart might get a statue outside the Etihad Stadium after tonight's performance. Raffael is a nuisance once again as he evades a couple of challenges before finding Herrmann with a clever reverse ball. Hart is quick to make the angle tough again and he makes a superb stop.

YELLOW CARD! Oh dear. The drama just keeps on coming. Gladbach should definitely be preparing to take a second penalty. Fernandinho goes to ground in the box but is beaten to the ball by Stindl, who is clearly brought down. I have no idea how, but the officials decide to book Stindl for diving. It is a dreadful decision.

Raffael is causing chaos. He is simply too quick and tricky for the visitors, and City continue to bring him into the game by losing the ball in midfield. You'd be brave to predict which way this game will go tonight.

City are just starting to dictate the tempo once again. Aguero and Silva both do well to help the ball on in the box, but Sterling is only able to make contact with a weak header which sends the ball bouncing to Sommer.

The visitors are pressing late in the first half as Fernandinho climbs highest to miscue a header wide from a corner.

HALF TIME: GLADBACH 0-0 MAN CITY

A quite remarkable first half comes to an end. Hart kept out a penalty from Raffael and made a string of fantastic saves to keep out Gladbach, who should have been given another opportunity from the spot before the break.

Manchester City's Belgian forward Kevin De Bruyne (R) and Moenchengladbach's Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions League first-leg Group D football match between Borussia Monchengladbach and Manchester City in Monchengl© Getty Images

City have had their chances, too, with Aguero missing two great opportunities to hand the visitors the advantage at the interval. It has been thrill-a-minute action in the Group D clash.


It really is difficult to remember a more entertaining goalless first half. At this stage, it is incredibly difficult to predict which side will come out on top. City are arguably the stronger in possession, but they look vulnerable to the break every time they lose the ball. More drama looks inevitable.

Gladbach have good options on the bench. Josip Drmic could be the poacher they need at the end of these counter attacks. Thorgan Hazard is also available and he really would enjoy the space being offered to attacking players in this match. The benches could be key tonight.


KICKOFF! City get the game back underway. In tonight's other Group D game, Alvaro Morata's goal has handed Juventus a 1-0 lead against Sevilla. It is looking good for the Italian champions at the moment. One change at the break as Fernando replaces Toure for the visitors. The Ivorian was struggling with an injury at the weekend, so City fans will be hoping it is not too serious.

SAVE! Guess who? Raffael punishes City for their failure to execute the offside trap correctly and with so much time in the box, he is denied once again as Hart dives to his left to push the ball away.

De Bruyne and Silva combine to find Kolarov, whose low cross looks on course to find Aguero until Christensen steps in with a crucial interception.

City survive another extended spell of pressure. Demichelis and Otamendi are all over the place, but they manage to force the hosts to settle for a corner. The cross is only headed down to Xhaka, who appeals for handball when his volley is blocked. That looks a better decision from the referee.

GOAL! GLADBACH 1-0 MAN CITY (STINDL)

City are finally punished for dreadful defending. Kolarov is attracted to the ball, which allows Gladbach to move the ball out wide. Korb responds by delivering the perfect cross and Stindl is composed as he strokes home from the middle of the box. Hart had no chance on this occasion.

It looks easy for City to win possession and knock the ball around, but the quality has not been good enough in the final third of the pitch. Scoring the first goal is crucial for Gladbach, who will get even more opportunities to hit the visitors on the break.

Excellent defending on show from the hosts as both Christensen and Korb charge out to block efforts from Sterling and De Bruyne, respectively. Do City need to change something?

City need to get Sterling involved in better positions. The England international leaves Korb stranded with a clever turn to win a free kick, but the Kolarov cross is cleared once again. Gladbach threaten to break through Dahoud, whose ball is just too strong for the tireless Raffael.

SUB! Silva lasts just over an hour on his return from injury. De Bruyne should move into a central position as Jesus Navas comes on.

GOAL! MONCHENGLADBACH 1-1 MAN CITY (OTAMENDI)

The officials should be breathing a huge sigh of relief. Demichelis meets a corner with a volley and the ball certainly crosses the line before being cleared, but luckily for City and the officials, Otamendi reacts quickset to fire in the equaliser. It might go down as a Christensen own goal after he attempted to block the effort with his head.

YELLOW CARD! Korb picks up a booking for a foul on De Bruyne out wide. Kolarov's delivery is poor once again and Navas can only miscues a half-volley when the ball drops to them.

City are certainly starting to get more control of this match, but with the game being stretched once again, will Gladbach cause more problems on the break? Fernando fancies his chances from distance with a 25-yard strike which drifts wide.

SUB! Gladbach make their first change of the night as Andre Hahn replaces Herrmann.

This is more like it from City. The visitors are putting pressure on the ball high up the pitch and they quickly work the ball to Sterling, whose cross from the left is beaten away by Sommer with Aguero stretching to get a touch on the ball. De Bruyne then fires over when Christensen does brilliantly to block Aguero's path to goal.

As an attacking threat, Gladbach just aren't in this game anymore. City have been dominant since equalising and the hosts are struggling to get the ball to Raffael further up the pitch. Fernandinho is the latest to try his luck when he curls over after being found on the edge of the box by De Bruyne.

SUB! Korb's night is over as Ibrahima Traore comes off the bench. That change should see Johnson move to right-back. Traore's pace should make a difference on the break.

Superb defensive work on show once again. Dominguez and Christensen have been excellent and it's the former who gets in the way of Aguero as the Argentine attempted to turn in Kolarov's cross at the near post.

Demichelis has looked vulnerable all evening and he is relieved when a nervous look at the assistant referee results in Hahn being caught offside. City are quickly back on the front foot as Aguero hits another effort wide of the post.

Sterling rises like Shearer at the back post to meet an inviting cross from Navas, but he can only send a powerful header over the crossbar. Gladbach then decide to replace Dahoud with Nordtveit, which suggests that the hosts are ready to take a point. He should sit just in front of the defence for the closing stages.

This game could have another twist. Traore cuts inside from the right to beat a couple of challenges before finding Hahn, whose deflected effort loops just over the crossbar. Hart punches clear from the corner.

Demichelis really has not had a good night, but he does well to dispossess Raffael after the Gladbach forward had found space on the break. Dominguez then picks up a yellow card for bringing down Aguero.

PENALTY! The twist has arrived. Gladbach fail to clear a corner and Aguero reacts to the loose ball with a brilliant first touch which invites the foul from Johnson, who has gifted the visitors the chance to collect all three points.

GOAL! GLADBACH 1-2 MAN CITY (AGUERO)

What a finish to an incredible game! Aguero sends Sommer the wrong way and sprints away in delight after putting City ahead from the penalty spot. There is just two minutes of added time to be played.

SAVE! The drama is still not over. City hit the hosts on the break and De Bruyne's low cross is met by Aguero, whose close-range effort is blocked by the diving Sommer. To make matters worse, Sommer takes a knee to the nose from Wendt and there is a lot of blood. Pablo Zabaleta replaces Sterling.

It is taking a long time to stop the bleeding, but Sommer only needs to be on the pitch for a few more seconds. Gladbach have used all three substitutions.

FULL TIME: GLADBACH 1-2 MAN CITY

A dramatic night comes to an end at Borussia Park. Gladbach were brilliant for so long, but City responded impressively to falling behind and Aguero delivered from the spot in the 90th minute to clinch all three points. It could prove to be a very crucial goal for City's hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

That's all from our live coverage this evening, but make sure you keep an eye out for reaction, analysis and player ratings. Thanks for joining me for a thrilling Champions League fixture. Goodnight everyone.

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Manchester City's Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero runs with the ball during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at White Hart Lane in north London on September 26, 2015
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