Manchester City and Borussia Mönchengladbach meet in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday, March 16.
While the usual European suspects struggle to find their grip in Champions League this season, Manchester City has emerged as one of the early favorites for its first UCL title after years of failing to make it past the quarterfinals.
The compressed season and lasting impact of the pandemic have turned this season into a war of attrition, especially on the domestic front, which has suited Pep Guardiola's side just fine given that City have enough world-class players to form two first teams.
Manchester City put that class on full display in the first leg of its round of 16 fixture against Borussia Mönchengladbach by cruising to a 2-0 victory thanks to away goals from Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus. And while the Premier League leaders saw their 21-match winning streak come to an end at the hands of rival Manchester United, City has still won 23 of its last 24 dating back to mid-December.
Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV Channel: Galavision
Live Stream: You can watch the match on fuboTV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. You can also view it via Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access).
As if the last meeting wasn't enough to show City's quality, Guardiola will now have Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne available for the return leg that was moved to Budapest due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
Gladbach's journey couldn't be more different; the German outfit has gone winless in its last eight matches and has been outscored 14-5 since Feb. 3. Even manager Marco Rose, in a peculiar defeatist admission from a coach prior to a game, said he wasn't looking forward to Tuesday's matchup with City.
"We don't want to give the impression that this is a friendly," Rose said in his pre-match press conference. "It's a Champions League game where we have a chance of reaching the next round, but we have to be realistic.
"Of course the City game is important to us. On the other hand, if I had said that I have full confidence that we can go there and turn it around, then everyone would have shaken their head and said Rose has lost his marbles."
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