MANCHESTER CITY’s young guns qualified for the knockout stages of the Uefa Youth League with a game to spare after their victory over Borussia Monchengladbach.
Goals from Paulo Fernandes and Brahim Diaz sealed the three points in Germany for Simon Davies’ side.
The visitors flew out of the traps and completely dominated the opening period.
City’s bright start was rewarded when Paulo Fernandes finished off a flowing move after Brahim Diaz laid back the ball for him to rifle it into the bottom corner.
The goalscorer then nearly added a second as his long-ranger was tipped over the bar by Franz Langhoff before another of the Spaniard’s efforts was blocked on the 18-yard line.
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Simon Davies’ side were in complete control, but they were pegged back shortly after the half hour mark as Tillmann Jahn finished from the edge of the six-yard box.
City struggled to dominate at the start of the second half as they did in the first until Diaz added his own name to the scoresheet with 58 minutes on the clock.
Javairo Dilrosun split the Gladbach defence with a fine through ball for the onrushing Diaz, who produced a composed finish through the goalkeeper’s legs.
The hosts were almost level seconds later. Winger Maximilian Muller firing wide from close-range after pouncing on a rebound following Daniel Grimshaw’s save.
Ba-Muaka Simakala thought he had equalised late on. The German youngster unleashed a dipping 25 yard effort that just missed the top corner by a matter of inches.
Despite a late surge by the hosts, City held firm to clinch their spot in the knockouts.
Borussia Monchengladbach: Langhoff, Hoffmanns, Kempkens, Hanraths, Mayer, Benger, Muller (Yosef 81), Ndenge, Jahn (Baller), Simakala, Schikowski
Subs not used: Holtmanns, Abrosimov, Strietzel, Herzog, Mustafic
Goal: Jahn (33)
Manchester City: Grimshaw, Duhaney, Humphreys, Adarabioyo, Francis, Dilrosun (Buckley-Ricketts 62), Kongolo, Fernandes, Sancho, Nmecha (Smith), Diaz
Subs not used: Oliver, Latibeaudiere, Foden, Patching
Goals: Fernandes (7), Diaz (58)
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