Can Manchester City Overcome Their European Curse?

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Sreya

Manchester City face Borussia Monchengladbach on Matchday 2 of the 2015/16 UEFA Champions League at Borussia Park, Monchengladbach. The English club has had a fairly difficult time in Europe’s premier competition over the last few seasons, failing to get out of the group stage in two of the last three years. The top contenders of the Premier League this season last made it to the quarter-finals in 2008/09 season.

It is a reflection of not just the club, but also the Premier League in general, that clubs from England have struggled spectacularly against other European sides in the recent seasons. In Manchester City’s defence, the English club has been drawn into fairly difficult groups in the round-robin stages of the UEFA Champions League, which has seriously hampered the chances of City.

Manchester City have also shown a profound lack of tactical gameplan on a number of occasions, when they could not get past certain oppositions because of inexperience and individual errors. If injuries have harmed them in a few games, it has been mediocrity from their first-choice eleven which pegged them down in others.

Their opponents of today, Borussia Monchengladbach are returning to Europe’s premier competition after a span of two seasons. The Bundesliga side could not qualify for the knock-outs in 2012/13 season. The winners of the 1978/79 UEFA Cup, Monchengladbach fans have seen both the highs and lows. It has been anything but easy for Borussia Monchengladbach to let go off their best young players to bigger clubs every season and yet compete regularly with the likes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg.

Both Manchester City and Borussia Monchenglabach started with losses on Matchday 1. Juventus outsmarted Manchester City in a 2-1 affair, while Sevilla thrashed Monchengladbach by a 3-0 margin. In what is being touted as the ‘Group of Death’, Monchengladbach is likely to be the easiest opposition for Manchester City.

Moreover, Manuel Pellegrini has at his disposal for the first time this season – Sergio Aguero, Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva and Raheem Sterling – the talented attacking quartet which could unlock any defence in the world on a given day. Monchengladbach and interim manager Andre Schubert would, however, hope to catch Manchester City on a bad day. Manuel Pellegrini’s side who are going through a period of poor form though, will try their very best to overcome the demons which have plagued Manchester City on European nights over the years.

Will Manchester City be able to get rid of their European curse? The events of the next few hours will decide City’s fate for this season and the next few as well.