Manchester City 2-0 Borussia Monchengladbach: 5 talking points as Cityzens ease into quarterfinal | UEFA Champions League 2020-21
First-half goals from Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan helped Manchester City post a 2-0 UCL victory over Borussia Monchengladbach on Tuesday.
The hosts held a 2-0 advantage from the first leg but despite this healthy lead, Pep Guardiola took no chances, with several of his key players rested for last weekend's victory over Fulham.
The Manchester City manager named a full-strength squad for the clash with the Bundesliga outfit, with the likes of De Bruyne, Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden all back to the starting lineup.
It came as no surprise that Manchester City started the game on the front foot. They went ahead as early as the 12th minute through a wonderful finish by stand-in captain De Bruyne.
Riyad Mahrez found the Belgium international in the slightest of spaces on the edge of the area and rifled in an unstoppable left-footed curler into the top post.
The Etihad outfit doubled their lead soon after when a lightning break ended with Phil Foden's disguised pass, sending Gundogan through on goal. The Germany international's one-touch finish slid beyond Yann Sommer and into the back of the net.
This saw Manchester City go 4-0 up on aggregate. From then onwards, they played the game at their own pace, with Monchengladbach rarely threatening.
The closest they came to scoring in the first half was when Marcus Thuram and Breel Embolo combined in the 40th minute for the Switzerland international to send a shot marginally wide.
The second half continued in the same fashion, with Manchester City dominating possession. However, they failed to find a second goal, with De Bruyne, Mahrez, and Raheem Sterling all coming close.
Guardiola made a raft of changes in the final 15 minutes. Fernandinho, Sergio Aguero and Sterling all came on to get a taste of the action but none of them made any notable impact on the game.
Manchester City's clean sheet meant that they have now gone 11 hours and 3 minutes without conceding a goal in the Champions League. This saw them overtake Juventus as the club with the second-longest shutout streak in the history of the competition.
The victory sees Manchester City secure their spot in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, while Borussia Monchengladbach now have to focus on the Bundesliga.
Here are five talking points from the game.
#5 Impressive Manchester City still in the hunt for a unique quadruple
Manchester City made history two seasons ago as the first club in English football history to win a domestic treble.
Their dominance on the domestic scene is almost unparalleled in the annals of the English game but they have always fallen short on the continent.
The last few months have seen the Cityzens up the ante on the field, and they are now champions-in-waiting of the Premier League. They are also through to the final of the League Cup, while Everton await in the FA Cup quarterfinal.
Having secured progress to the last eight of the UEFA Champions League, Pep Guardiola's side now have to overcome their quarterfinal hurdle. In this rampant form, there are only a handful of clubs that can stop them in their quest for a quadruple.
#4 Ilkay Gundogan continues his impressive run in front of goal
Injuries to key forwards, as well as to Kevin De Bruyne, saw Ilkay Gundogan deployed in a more advanced role in December, and he adapted to the position like a fish to water.
The Germany international responded with 11 goals from 12 Premier League games, having failed to score in any of his first six league matches.
The goals have dried up since a minor groin injury ruled him out of the clash with Everton in mid-February. However, Gundogan was back among the goals in the victory over Southampton.
He scored the second goal of the night against Monchengladbach, and the precision of his deft finish was indicative of his growing confidence in front of goal.
With Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus yet to hit full fitness and Raheem Sterling floundering, the onus has fallen on Ilkay Gundogan to become Manchester City's chief goal threat.
It is a responsibility he is seemingly relishing, which bodes well for the Cityzen's chances of success this season.