Pep Guardiola insists his Manchester City side will need to sharpen up in front of goal despite cruising to a comfortable Champions League 2-0 victory over Borussia Monchengladbacha as the Premier League leaders eased towards the quarter-finals of the competition after the first leg of their last-16 tie against the German side in Budapest.
With Joao Cancelo creating the assists for the goals by Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus scored either side of half-time, Monchengladbach offered little resistance, but Guardiola was apparently concerned about a lack of clear-cut chances creat ed by his side.
The City boss said:
“In general we played really well but we were not clinical enough up front.
“The actions one against one – with the keeper, with the defenders – we have to be more clinical. You have to finish the action, at least make the keeper make a save and we didn’t do it.
“We created a lot of chances, we arrived in final third, the process was good, but have to finish better. In this competition you have to improve.
“In the Premier League we can drop points, we have a margin, but in this competition you don’t have that chance. We have to be better.
“I know we have the quality to do it – I am not concerned about this – but, when you ask me my opinion on the game, if there was something I would like to improve it would be that.”
That particular frustration aside, City looked in complete control for most of the game as they competently racked up their 19th successive win across all competitions.
Cancelo played an outstanding role in the match, curling in a superb cross for Silva’s opener and sending another fine delivery into the box in the build-up to Jesus’ strike.
Guardiola said:
“He drives with the ball and at the central defenders. He is a player with a huge quality and his physicality is overwhelming.
“If we played another game tomorrow he would be ready to play. In the final third, he was brilliant. Two beautiful goals.”
Bernardo Silva also didn’t fail to catch the eye, with the Portuguese not only finishing the first goal but also having a hand in the second with a cushioned header from Cancelo’s cross.