adminMANCHESTER. — Manuel Pellegrini claims Manchester City can match anyone in the Champions League soccer as he savoured one of their best Euro nights.
Pellegrini was thrilled by City’s comeback against Borussia Monchengladbach as they scored three times in the last 11 minutes to win 4-2 — and finish top of their Champions League group for the first time ever on Tuesday night.
“I think that if we play the way we did in the second half, we can play against any team,” said delighted boss Pellegrini . “That is the way I like to play.
“I don’t know if it’s the best European night, but it’s certainly one of the best.”
Pellegrini is relieved City cannot draw heavyweights Barcelona in Monday’s last 16-draw after losing to them at that stage in each of the last two seasons.
“It’s better to finish first because you can avoid important teams for just one stage more,” said the Chilean.
“But if you hope to win the title, you have to play against the big teams.”
Pellegrini also praised City hero Raheem Sterling , who scored twice on his 21st birthday.
“It’s his birthday,” he said. “He’s 21 years old.
“I think that display will be very important for him.”
Sterling marked his 21st birthday with a decisive brace as Manchester City secured top spot in Champions League Group D by overpowering in-form Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-2 on Tuesday night.
With 10 minutes left City trailed, goals from Julian Korb and Raffael having cancelled out David Silva’s 16th-minute opener, but a stunning late surge by the hosts saw Sterling strike twice in two minutes to put City in charge before substitute Wilfried Bony added a fourth.
It lifted Pellegrini’s side above Juventus, beaten 1-0 by Sevilla in Spain in the other group game, and meant that Gladbach missed out on even the consolation of a Europa League berth.
“When we had the draw in August, everyone said that was the ‘death group’, with all the best leagues in the same group, so to qualify two games before (the end) was very important and if we can win the group, it’s better,” Pellegrini told BT Sport.
“We played not so good the first half, but we did brilliant in the second half.”
City’s failure to secure top spot in the group cost them dearly in the previous two seasons they reached the knock-out phase, when they lost twice to Barcelona in the last 16, but they will now approach Monday’s draw safe in the knowledge that neither Barcelona, Real Madrid nor Bayern Munich will await in the next round.
Gladbach had beaten Bayern 3-1 on Saturday, becoming the first team to do so in the Bundesliga this season, but three days on they find themselves out of all European competition after the first defeat of coach Andre Schubert’s 13-game reign.
“We are disappointed on one hand, but we are happy that we have produced some good performances and represented Germany well in this difficult group as newcomers,” Schubert said.
With Sergio Aguero still nursing a heel problem and Bony starting on the bench, Sterling led the line for City at the Etihad Stadium and after an early scare when Korb shot over, he created the game’s opening goal.
Receiving the ball on the left-hand corner of the area, Sterling released Silva with a cunning back-heel and the Spaniard lashed the ball high past Yann Sommer at the near post for his first goal since August 10.
But it took the visitors just three minutes to draw level as Fabian Johnson swapped passes with Lars Stindl before driving into the box and squaring for Korb, who bludgeoned home right-footed. — AFP.
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