Quadfather Pep ends City’s code of silence
Boss hints his mob can lift four trophies
PEP GUARDIOLA may have banned talk of the Quadruple but with City in red-hot form even he is starting to get sucked into the hype.
Gaffer Guardiola took a dim view of Oleksandr Zinchencko claiming they could scoop an unprecedented haul of all four trophies this season.
But this ruthless demolition of Borussia Monchengladbach showed just why City are favourites to lift the Champions League for the first time, with the Premier League title theirs and the FA Cup and Carabao Cup within their grasp.
They have scored 17 goals in eight Champions League games this season and have not conceded since the 14th minute of their opening group fixture, a 3-1 win over Porto in October.
If this tie was not over after the first ‘away’ leg, with City leading 2-0, it certainly was after just 18 minutes back here in Budapest.
Guardiola’s side scored through twice through Kevin De Bruyne and then Ilkay Gundogan to end any hope of an unlikely comeback from their German opponents.
The boss said: “It was a good performance, we controlled the game. The quality every time is higher and hopefully we can maintain this mood.
“We have everyone fit and will rotate the squad. To compete for four competitions you have to be fresh.”
City conjured the first chance after six minutes, Joao Cancelo – who set up both goals in the first leg – playing an exquisite lofted ball over the top for Phil Foden. The England man took the ball first time but the contact was not clean, allowing keeper Yann Sommer enough time to scoop the effort clear.
Monchengladbach were afforded a chance of their own two minutes later when Breel Embolo’s defected shot almost caught out goalie Ederson, who was alert enough to palm the ball away.
But it was City who took the lead in the 12th minute, De Bruyne allowing the ball to run across on to his left foot before hitting a thunderous shot which crashed in off the underside of the bar.
It was 2-0 six minutes later, Foden executing a clever turn before embarking on a surging run and finding Gundogan, who took one touch before applying an assured finish for his 15th goal of the season.
Gundogan should have made it 3-0 in what promised to be almost a carbon copy of his goal. This time, however, his first touch from a neat Riyad Mahrez pass was loose, allowing Sommer to save.
As City saw out the game, Guardiola had the luxury of making five substitutes ahead of Saturday’s trip to Everton in the FA Cup.
MAN CITY...2 M’GLADBACH...0
AGG: 4-0