Will Gladbach Triumph Spark European Turnaround For Manchester City?

Manchester City’s struggles in the Champions League are well documented. For their first four years in the competition, they often looked incapable of fully adapting to life amongst Europe’s elite.

In previous years, defeats against CSKA Moscow, Ajax and Napoli have been evidence that, for all their strengths at home, the Blues have a lot to learn on the continent.

On occasion, though, the City have pulled off results that have threatened to act as a turning point. In December 2013, a trip to Bayern Munich saw them return home with three points, despite having trailed 2-0. Players and fans alike were buoyed by that 3-2 victory; convinced they’d now smashed down a mental blockade and marked a statement of intent. That was the last game in the group stage. In the Round of 16 they played Barcelona. Although they equipped themselves well in the first leg, a Martin Demichelis red card and subsequent Lionel Messi penalty knocked the stuffing out of City; they promptly exited the competition.

Last season produced a similar scenario. In the final group game, requiring a victory in the Stadio Olimpico against AS Roma to guarantee progression, City delivered their best European performance of the modern era. Every man performed to their maximum and, tactically, they judged the tie perfectly. Finally, it seemed lessons had been learned; Manuel Pellegrini’s men were fit for the competition.

Then came Barcelona. Again. This time, the Blues were awful. Any hope of a post-Roma buzz acting as a springboard to greater things diminished quickly as the Catalan side toyed with City over two legs. Just as they had been so many times before, the Citizen’s weakness were ruthlessly exposed as their usual inhibitions leaped to the fore on a crucial European night.

After a strong start to this domestic season, there has been a sense that City might just be ready to kick on in Europe too – at the fifth time of asking. That feeling has mostly remained despite an opening night loss at home to Juventus.

On Wednesday night, City produced a victory away to Borussia Mönchengladbach that once again has some supporters talking of a real turn-around in Champions League fortunes.

This time though, that expectancy will be somewhat tempered. The previous statement-wins were against recognised giants of the European game. This latest victory came against the side widely expected to be the weakest in City’s group, which will surely dampen some of the excitement.

Gladbach are a good side, of that there can be no doubt. They finished second in last season’s Bundesliga and their performance at Borussia Park on Wednesday displayed plenty of their qualities; it is not by fluke that they are now playing at this level. They were quick on the counter and when they took the lead in the second half, it was just reward for the amount of times they had penetrated an unstable visiting defence.

With that in mind, it was no small feat for City to turn a deficit into a last-gasp win and they deserve credit for doing so, especially with their mental strength still in question following the weekend capitulation to Tottenham. In Germany, the team made good on that slightly twee and already-tired unofficial club mantra - “We’re Man City; we fight ‘til the end”.

It must be said that the performance was somewhat at odds with the result. Away victories in the Champions League are rarely attained by open, expansive football – at least not against anybody half-decent. Yet that is how City played. It made for a fantastically enthralling contest, something which has been rare for Pellegini’s charges at this level.

Whilst everybody at the club should take heart from the mental fortitude displayed by the side, as well as the breathtaking forward play, to think this style of play might represent a new-found understanding of what’s required at this level would be folly. Against the heavyweights of the game, it would simply be unworkable.

The frenetic pace of the Premier League means that domestically, City can make this style of play efficient, exciting and highly productive. In Europe, teams will be happy to sit back and counter-attack against this. With Martin Demichelis woefully out of form and Nicolas Otamendi still finding his feet, Gladbach threatened to punish City severely for their open approach; Vincent Kompany’s return can’t come soon enough.

Most baffling is that counter-attacking football is actually one of City’s biggest strengths; no Premier League side scored more goals on the counter last season than the men from the Etihad. Their reluctance or inability to re-produce this in Europe is problematic and, frankly, just plain weird.

All-in-all, nobody should be downbeat after an away Champions League victory. This is a result to be celebrated and the fight back was impressive. Lessons do need to be taken from the performance though; better teams will punish City’s open approach far more severely than the Germans were able to.

Maybe, though, the result will give City the belief to finally crack Europe. One thing is for sure; with games like this, the Blues will certainly be one of Europe’s great entertainers this season.