Man City, Moenchengladbach cruise into Champions League
MANCHESTER, England — Manchester City and Borussia Moenchengladbach built on commanding first-leg advantages to cruise through the Champions League playoffs on Wednesday, while Russian side Rostov thrashed Ajax 4-1 to reach the group stage for the first time.
City will play a sixth straight season in Europe’s elite competition after beating Steaua Bucharest 1-0 thanks to Fabian Delph’s 56th-minute goal and completing a 6-0 win on aggregate. Goalkeeper Joe Hart made what could be his last start for City after losing his regular place under new coach Pep Guardiola.
“We have a top manager that the club has wanted a long, long time, and he’s going to have his opinion on things,” said Hart, who was given a rousing reception by City fans and appeared emotional during and at the end of the match.
“It’s a place I love to be,” he added, “but situations occur in football. We’re men, we get on with it.”