Manchester City v Borussia Monchengladbach: Champions League Preview & Prediction

Manchester City have got off to a perfect start in the Premier League, and Pep Guardiola’s side will be hoping to carry that form over into the Champions League.

City will look to continue their winning start to the season when they welcome German side Borussia Monchengladbach to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Citizens took on André Schubert’s side in the group stages of the Champions League last season – winning on both occasions.

However, some of Gladbach’s leaders departed Borussia-Park over the summer. Former captain Havard Nordtveit joined West Ham United following the expiration of his contract, while fellow defensive midfielder Granit Xhaka completed a big money move to Arsenal.

City will be looking to go one better this term after being knocked out of the Champions League by eventual winners Real Madrid in the semi-finals. Guardiola may be the man to make City European champions despite failing to win the coveted trophy during his three years with Bayern Munich.

Gladbach, meanwhile, failed to make it out of the group stages last season and so they will be looking to progress out of a tough group that also includes Guardiola’s former employers FC Barcelona and Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic.

Both sides have already performed admirably in European competition this term, as City and Gladbach qualified for the group stages following comfortable wins in the play-off round.

Borussia Monchengladbach defeated Young Boys 9-2 on aggregate to make it to the group stages, while City produced a superb performance in Romania to defeat Steaua Bucharest 5-0 and set up a 6-0 aggregate win.

Wins over Sunderland, Stoke City, West Ham and Manchester United has resulted in City sitting top of the Premier League, and following defeats by their Manchester rivals and a draw for Chelsea on Sunday, they are now the only team in English football’s top-flight with a perfect record.

Monchengladbach go into the opening group match off the back of their first defeat of the season in the Bundesliga.

Star striker, Aguero, returns from suspension tonight – Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

Team News:

Sergio Aguero is set to return to Guardiola’s starting line-up after missing the Manchester derby through suspension. The Argentinian striker was found guilty of violent conduct for an elbow on Winston Reid during the win over West Ham United last month.

Although he will miss a further two matches through suspension, the ban does not cover the Champions League.

Summer signing Ilkay Gundogan could also make his Manchester City debut. The 25-year-old suffered a dislocated knee while with Borussia Dortmund in May.

Club captain Vincent Kompany is nearing his return following the thigh problem he suffered in the Champions League semi-final second-leg defeat to Real Madrid. However, the Belgian international defender is not expected to play any part against Gladbach.

Opposing boss Schubert will be without Alvaro Dominguez, Josip Drmic, Patrick Herrmann and Mamadou Doucouré for the trip to Manchester.

League Positions: Manchester City – 1st (12 pts); Borussia Monchengladbach – 10th (3 pts)
Last Meeting: Manchester City 4-2 Borussia Monchengladbach – (December 8, 2015, Champions League group stage)
Form: Manchester City – WWWWWW; Borussia Monchengladbach – WWWWWL
Key Men: Manchester City – Sergio Aguero; Borussia Monchengladbach – Thorgan Hazard
Shoot Says: Manchester City 3-0 Borussia Monchengladbach