Meek Mönchengladbach outclassed by masterful Madrid

Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Mönchengladbach, Estadio Alfredi di Stefano
(Benzema 9', 32')

This was a night that offered Borussia Mönchengladbach the chance to demonstrate that they belong at Europe's top table. A night to show maturity, guile and killer instinct at the home of the 13-time European Cup winners. Instead, it was a night when the only team that showed any of those traits were their opponents.

From a Real Madrid perspective, it was the kind of performance that Zinedine Zidane desperately needed and one of their best in a long time. Luka Modric, even at 35, was majestic in midfield and Karim Benzema, also the wrong side of 30, showed his enduring class with two wonderful headers from two pinpoint crosses from the Madrid right. Given that Madrid entered this game staring at an early exit, they seized their opportunity with professionalism and ease.

Gladbach, in contrast, were desperately disappointing. Marco Rose's team are usually so pragmatic at the back yet so expansive in attack, but showed precious little of their finest qualities. Besides a breakaway chance that ended with Alassane Plea dragging his shot wide at 1-0, Gladbach barely mustered a single attack. It was hard to believe this was the same side that put ten goals past Shakhtar Donetsk over two games and so nearly beat Real Madrid.

Seemingly overwhelmed by the importance of the game, Gladbach went wobbly at the knees at ended the night very fortunate to only lose by two. Modric and Lucas Vasquez each hit the post, Benzema struck the underside of the bar in search of his hat-trick, and Yann Sommer was required to make a fine save from Sergio Ramos. Gladbach were lucky to escape relatively intact.

Inter draw spares Gladbach

The only redeeming feature of the night for Gladbach was Inter Milan's failure to beat Shakhtar Donetsk back in Milan. Perhaps that failure is an even greater one than Gladbach's, whose path to the last 16 was earnt in their previous five games.

The goalless draw in Milan sends the Italian side out of Europe as Shakhtar drop into the Europa League. Real Madrid somehow progress as group winners while Gladbach sneak through in second, news which reached Gladbach's players huddled around a laptop pitchside.

After such a poor performance, Rose can be relieved that the defeat didn't come at a heavier price for his young players. The likes of Plea, Marcus Thuram and Florian Neuhaus have elevated Gladbach's performances in Europe this season, but they and several others cannot afford to go missing again when they meet one of Europe's heavyweights in February.