Pellegrini hits back at Euro sceptics

MANCHESTER City boss Manuel Pellegrini has defended his side's record in Europe in advance of tonight’s Champions League bid in Germany

City face Borussia Monchengladbach tonight, anxious to win after losing to Juventus in their group opener a fortnight ago. City have continually floundered on the continent, failing to progress beyond the last 16 in four previous Champions League efforts.

Pellegrini insisted progress had been made since his appointment in 2013: "I don't think we have failed in Europe. In the last two years we have qualified for the next stage and then we lost against the best team in the world, Barcelona. We have beaten Bayern Munich twice.

"Last year were in a complicated situation and we won our last two games. We know how to do it. We just lost a game against Juventus, which was a strange game.”

City will have to find a way to succeed without captain Vincent Kompany, still out with a calf injury.

In his absence City have conceded six goals.