Raheem Sterling scored two late goals to seal a 4-2 win for
Manchester City that ensured they topped Group D, with Borussia
Monchengladbach finishing bottom of the section
Raheem Sterling's late brace
ensured Manchester City topped Group D in the Champions League as they
won 4-2 to eliminate Borussia Monchengladbach from European competition.
City
needed to win and hope Juventus lost at Sevilla to avoid a potential
draw against the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich and
they took the lead when David Silva hammered home.
But
Gladbach, who had not scored in either of their away Champions League
matches this season, were level within two minutes when Julian Korb beat
Joe Hart with a low strike.
The German side,
unbeaten in their 12 matches since losing to City earlier in the
campaign, took the lead before half-time, Raffael applying the finishing
touch after Oscar Wendt's cross deflected off Lars Stindl into the
Brazil attacker's path.
But Sterling, on his 21st
birthday, scored twice in the last 11 minutes, finishing off Silva's
pass and then curling in from 15 yards.
Wilfried
Bony tucked in the last goal of the game with six minutes to go to
complete a brilliant comeback for Manuel Pellegrini's men.
Gladbach
came into the match on the back of breaking Bayern Munich's
record-breaking unbeaten start to the Bundesliga campaign with a 3-1 win
and they almost took the lead after four minutes, but Korb fired over
from 10 yards.
City were operating without a
recognised striker due to Sergio Aguero's latest injury but their fluid
front three combined to glorious effect to create the opening goal on 15
minutes. Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne linked up to feed Silva and the
Spain midfielder smashed in his first goal since August.
Schubert's
men were level within two minutes after slicing the hosts wide open
with a rapid break. Fabian Johnson's low cross found its way through the
box, via Stindl's touch, to Korb and he drove a first-time shot across
Joe Hart and into the bottom corner.
Sterling and Yaya Toure had efforts from 25 yards go off target before Fabian Delph flicked a volley over the crossbar.
But
Gladbach were in front shortly before half-time. City's defence backed
off and when Wendt's cross bounced off Stindl, Raffael was on hand to
turn the loose ball past Hart.
City improved after
the break and almost got on level terms after a mistake from
19-year-old defender Nico Elvedi let in Sterling, but Yann Sommer spread
himself to keep his team in front and the goalkeeper saved from Silva
and Sterling again as City cranked up the pressure.
Sommer was saving everything that came his way, pulling off a wonderful stop diving low to his right to deny Sterling once more.
But
Sterling finally got his birthday goal with 11 minutes to go, tapping
home Silva's pass from close range, and the winger was soon on target
again, beating Sommer with a curling effort to put City back in the
lead.
Substitute Bony struck with six minutes to
go to complete a fine comeback and, courtesy of Juventus losing 1-0 in
Seville, give City pride of place at the top of Group D and left
Gladbach bottom of the group as two-time Europa League champions Sevilla
snatched third and a chance to seal a historic hat-trick.
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