Mönchengladbach vs Manchester City Champions League preview: where to watch, predicted line-ups, team news

Borussia Mönchengladbach host Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on 24 February at 21:00 CET. This page will update with team news, quotes and expert analysis as kick-off approaches.

What's the story?

A meeting of two of Europe's in-form sides, Mönchengladbach's first taste of the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds comes against a Manchester City team who are in the round of 16 for the eighth season running. Gladbach have already taken the scalps of Bayern and Dortmund in 2021, while City have been moving up through the gears impressively. The game will take place at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary.

Where to watch the game on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.

Form guide

Mönchengladbach
Form: LDLWDW
Latest: Mönchengladbach 1-2 Mainz, 20/02
Where they stand: 8th in Bundesliga

Manchester City
Form: WWWWWW
Latest: Arsenal 0-1 Man. City, 21/02
Where they stand: 1st in Premier League

Possible line-ups

Gladbach: Sommer; Lainer, Ginter, Elvedi, Bensebaini; Kramer, Neuhaus; Wolf, Stindl, Hofmann; Pléa

Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Dias, Cancelo; Rodri; Sterling, De Bruyne, Gündoğan, Foden; Jesus

Expert predictions

James Thorogood, Mönchengladbach reporter: Gladbach have hit turbulence in 2021 courtesy of a dip in form coinciding with news of head coach Marco Rose’s departure in the summer. Ahead of their debut in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase, the Foals will therefore be hoping to tap into the form that saw them finish the group stages as the second highest-scoring side. Gladbach can’t match Manchester City on individual talent, but as they proved against Real Madrid and Inter, their collective powers are not to be underestimated.

Simon Hart, Manchester City reporter: City ended the group stage with its best defensive record, of just one goal conceded. With the defensive platform of Rúben Dias and a reborn John Stones, they have recorded more clean sheets this season (23) than any other club in Europe’s top five leagues while flourishing increasingly higher up the pitch over the course of a club-record 18-match winning run (during which they’ve spent only 22 minutes behind). It’s not hyperbole to suggest they’re Europe’s in-form team, and with 11 straight away wins under their belt, they’ll travel to Germany full of confidence.

View from the camps

Josep Guardiola, Manchester City manager: "Everyone is fit except Nathan [Aké]. [Gladbach] make a good build-up with short passes and they can also contact with their fast strikers with transitions. German teams are always so dangerous. [Gladbach] arrive with a lot of people in the box and of course the players in the middle - [Florian] Neuhaus and [Denis] Zakaria or [Christoph] Kramer - know exactly what they have to do. I cannot expect any different.”

Marco Rose, Mönchengladbach coach: "I'm thrilled that the lads get to play in a game like this. I hope when they go to bed tonight, they think about how they felt in Madrid when we qualified. If there is one thing that Manchester City don't like, then it's not having the ball. We need to play with courage and defend with passion. I have a team that is absolutely capable of that."

Squad changes

Mönchengladbach
In: Julio Villalba
Out: László Bénes

Manchester City
In: none
Out: Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Cieran Slicker