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Manchester City are playing some very good football at the moment and it’s difficult to see any team stopping them. The Cityzens made light work of Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.
Pep Guardiola’s side have been really good this season, but this will still rank as one of their most dominant performances in the current campaign. They were all over Monchengladbach, who were restricted to their own half for large parts of the game.
In truth, no one expected it to be a match between equals but the gulf in class and quality between the two teams was just staggering. Manchester City deservedly eased to a 2-0 win away from home and now have a very good chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.
Bernardo Silva opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a great header after rising to meet a perfectly weighted cross from Joao Cancelo. Silva then turned provider when he set up Gabriel Jesus to double City's lead in the second half.
Manchester City completely outplay Monchengladbach
The scoreline may suggest the game was close, but this was not a contest. It was a completely one-sided affair, with Manchester City dominating possession.
Guardiola, even after leading this team to so many trophies, was in awe of the performance of his players. The Spaniard believes he has a team with a winning mentality and one that does not take any game for granted.
“Without good quality players, we cannot do it. The humanity of this group, the players are fantastic and have an incredible relationship. They play every game to think just win that game,” Guardiola stated, as quoted by Goal.
"Today, enjoy the night and then think about West Ham. When people talk about the second leg, the second leg is in three weeks so now the next target is West Ham. That is all I am concerned with," explained Guardiola.
The Cityzens have been dominant in the Premier League and the win against Monchengladbach only shows they are ready to extend their dominance to Europe.
It could finally be Manchester City’s year in Europe
Manchester City are yet to win the Champions League and have suffered heartbreaks in the competition for many seasons. However, this could finally be their year.
The Cityzens have been in imperious form and are currently one of Europe’s most consistent sides, having won each of their last 19 games in all competitions.
As it stands, the only teams that can rival Manchester City are Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. There is no better time for Guardiola’s side to claim the European throne.
Tougher tests will come in the next round of the Champions League but Manchester City have got the quality and squad depth to go all the way in Europe.
