Manchester City scored three late goals in a five-minute span to beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 4-2 and finish top of its Champions League group for the first time on Tuesday.
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The Germans went in at half time with a 2-1 lead, goals from Julian Korb and Raffael cancelling out David Silva’s opener, but they were comfortably beaten in the end after the Citizens’ stunning second half display.
The arrangement paid off in the 16th minute as Sterling played Silva in on goal with a nifty backheel and the Spaniard took full advantage as he rifled a shot into the roof of the net.
But he couldn’t keep out Sterling when he was found eight yards out in the 80th minute.
“I don’t have a score to settle with City because of that”, he added. Sterling played a gorgeous back-heel ball through the defense that landed right on Silva’s foot.
The German side, unbeaten in their 12 matches since losing to City earlier in the campaign, took the lead before half-time, Raffael applying the finishing touch after Oscar Wendt’s cross deflected off Lars Stindl into the Brazil attacker’s path.
City dominated the second half, laying siege to the Gladbach goal but they were denied by heroics from goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
42′ CHANCE! City nearly sneak ahead as Delph delivers a superb low cross from the right that evades everyone except Sterling at the far post – but his shot is blocked and just about cleared for a corner.
Manchester City were much improved in the second period, starting it in blistering fashion and with real intent as they applied the pressure to Gladbach’s back three.
Sterling produced an identical effort from the same position just moments after, Aleksandar Kolarov’s pacey low cross finding him perfectly, but City’s number seven unable to make the most of the good build-up.
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Gladbach can ensure a place in the Europa League with a win at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, and can also do so if Sevilla fail to better their result when they take on Juventus.
