It all seems too familiar: Manchester City appear to have a straightforward path to the quarterfinal by drawing Borussia Mönchengladbach.
With the exception of last season, Manchester City have been handed a cushy Round of 16 opponent after a straightforward group stage. While Borussia Mönchengladbach this season are better than Basel or Schalke were in the past, there should only be one winner from this tie.
Other than a crushing defeat to Monaco in Pep Guardiola’s first season, the Round of 16 is not where problems have presented themselves, and City will be fully expecting to get through this tie.
City were not handed the easiest draw in the round, but thankfully avoided Atlético Madrid, easily the best side to finish second, as well as a floundering, but still dangerous Barcelona. Mönchengladbach are a familiar opponent for the Citizens in the Champions League, as City beat them 2-1 and 4-2 in the group stage in 2015. Then the following season, in the first year under Guardiola, City took four points from two in the group against the German side, winning 4-0 then drawing 1-1.
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This matchup draws a clear contrast from last year’s affair, when City were paired with Real Madrid in the Round of 16, an epic tie which City won both home and away before a shocking defeat to Lyon ended their campaign.
In the end, Mönchengladbach still present a threat, but City will take the draw given the context of the other teams available. City will be massive favorites and fully expected to go through, and if they can do so without much drama, it would be a welcome sign as they try to get over their quarterfinal struggles.