Uefa Champions League: Pep Guardiola set to recall big guns as Manchester City look to clinch knockout berth

A win in Germany would clinch qualification for the last 16 for the fourth consecutive year for City. So would a draw, assuming Celtic do not beat Barcelona in Glasgow. Richard Jolly reports.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, right, speaks with midfielder Kevin De Bruyne during a training session at the City Football Academy in Manchester, northern England, on November 22, 2016. Oli SShow more

Pep Guardiola likes to confer a finality on proceedings. Manchester City are only in the Uefa Champions League's group stages but, after dropping five points in two games, he suggested last month's meeting with Barcelona was a "final".

Last week, he started applying the same word to describe Wednesday’s clash with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Yet the meaning is different. A second defeat to Barcelona three weeks ago could have taken City’s destiny out of their hands.

Instead, their emphatic 3-1 victory means a win in Germany would clinch qualification for the last 16 for the fourth consecutive year. So would a draw, assuming Celtic do not beat Barcelona in Glasgow.

The context has changed. Two months ago, Guardiola previewed City’s last encounter with Monchengladbach by calling them “one of the best teams in Europe.”

It was a moot point if it was true or merely generous praise then. It is certainly not the case now: Monchengladbach stand 13th in the Bundesliga, have won only four of their last 15 games in all competitions and suffered a demoralising defeat to Cologne in Saturday’s Rheinland derby.

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Andre Schubert is a manager who took four points from six against Guardiola’s Bayern last season.

The Catalan admires the German, partly for his adherence to an adventurous pressing game and a willingness to commit men upfield but he has come under pressure as clean sheets and victories have become rarities.

Director of sport Max Eberl gave Schubert a vote of confidence but there was a telling admission from captain Lars Stindl, who said at the weekend: “We want to produce a good performance at home to City and, if possible, secure third place in the group. That is our big goal.”

City’s aims are rather higher. Despite Gladbach’s struggles, the significance of this game was indicated in Guardiola’s team selection at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Ilkay Gundogan and John Stones were rested completely and David Silva was only used as a substitute at Selhurst Park.

It is safe to assume all three will return for this game and not just because Saturday’s match-winner, Yaya Toure, was not registered in the Champions League squad and a seemingly concussed Vincent Kompany, who deputised for Stones, had to come off in the first half.

Gael Clichy and Pablo Zabaleta are others who could return to the starting 11.

It is safe to assume Sergio Aguero will retain his place, and not just because he scored a hat-trick when the Bundesliga side visited Manchester in September.

Aguero both earned and scored the penalty that secured City a 2-1 win at the Borussia-Park Stadion last year.

Monchengladbach led for 11 minutes then and for a further 37 in the return fixture at the Etihad Stadium, when Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Bony scored three late goals to produce a 4-2 scoreline that did not accurately reflect the game.

Yet it had an importance. Coupled with Juventus’ defeat to Sevilla that night, it allowed City to top the pool.

It provided them with a path to the semi-finals, rather than further last-16 meetings with the Barcelona side Guardiola polished.

Two wins, coupled with further setbacks for Barcelona, could enable City to leapfrog them and avoid other group winners in the first knockout round.

Gundogan voiced his belief that beating Barcelona ended a mental block for City. Ending up ahead of them would provide another statement and further grounds for confidence.

It all means they have incentive aplenty in Germany. Having flirted with the ignominy of an early exit, City can secure progress. Thoughts may be turning from coming third in Group C to finishing first.

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