What numbers say ahead of Gladbach v Man City

Borussia Mönchengladbach and Manchester City are facing each other for the seventh time – this is the most games for both teams against a single opponent in European competition.

Manchester City are unbeaten against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the UEFA Champions League (W3 D1). However, their only previous encounter in the knockout stages of a European competition saw Gladbach beat City 4-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the 1978/79 UEFA Cup.

Manchester City have reached the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League for the eighth consecutive season, the longest current run for an English club – they will be aiming to make it to the quarter-finals for the fourth straight campaign.

It’s been 43 years since Borussia Mönchengladbach were in the knockout stages of the European Cup/Champions League. They lost 4-2 in the semi-finals of the 1977/78 European Cup against Liverpool.

Borussia Mönchengladbach have won only two of their nine home games in the UEFA Champions League (D4 L3). However, they have scored in every single one of these nine outings.

Manchester City have won each of their last three away games in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 - 4-0 v Basel in February 2018, 3-2 v Schalke in February 2019 and 2-1 v Real Madrid in February 2020.

Manchester City accrued 16 points in this season’s UEFA Champions League group stage; the joint-most of any English side in a single group stage, along with Arsenal in 2005/06 (finalists), Manchester United in 2007/08 (winners) and Tottenham Hotspur in 2017/18 (round of 16).

Manchester City conceded only one goal in this season’s UEFA Champions League group stage, the fewest in a group phase since Barcelona in 2017/18 (1). They also set the best Expected Goals Against mark this season: 1.61, nearly three fewer than the next best (Chelsea 4.32 xGA).Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Expected Goals Against tally of 11.8 (9 goals conceded) in this season’s UEFA Champions League group phase was the highest among the 16 teams that have reached the knockout stages.

Mönchengladbach’s Florian Neuhaus didn’t set up a goal in the group stages despite recording an Expected Assists tally of 1.62 (and creating four ‘big chances’), the biggest differential between assists and what was expected based on the quality of his final passes.

No player was involved in as many goals as Gladbach striker Alassane Pléa during this season’s UEFA Champions League group phase (8 – five goals and three assists).

Manchester City forward Ferran Torres has scored in five of his last six UEFA Champions League matches (5 goals). He’s the only player aged 20 or younger to score 4+ goals in this season’s group stages, alongside Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.