Irresistible Blues should have too much for Gladbach

Les Chapman.

MANCHESTER City's performance in that opening 40 minutes in the derby match at Old Trafford was quite unbelievable.

It was just an amazing effort which really helped them set the tone and ultimately do enough to go on and win the game.

It should have been all over by half-time.

City could have been three or four in front and United would have struggled to come back from that kind of deficit.

The second half was much more even and both sides had chances to score again, but overall it was a thoroughly deserved win for the Blues.

It wasn't just about the result for me, it was the way City played. They were utterly dominant in that first half. They put constant pressure on United when they were in possession, and some of the passing was just brilliant.

TERRIFIC

Yes, Kevin De Bruyne was great, David Silva was great and so was Nicolas Otamendi, but overall it was a terrific team performance and one which strikes an early blow in the Premier League season.

Now the focus switches to the Champions League campaign in earnest, with the first game of the group stage tonight against Borussia Monchengladbach at the Etihad.

Gladbach are not regulars in the Champions League by any stretch, but you can guarantee that they will be no mugs and have reached this stage of the competition on merit. German teams are notoriously efficient and these will be no different.

They are a bit of an unknown quantity in many ways I guess, but the City staff will have done their homework and I expect the team to get off to a winning start in the group.

If they play anything like they did during that first half against United, then there shouldn't be any problems getting a result.

If this momentum carries on I could see there being quite a few goals tonight.