The Blues had the magnificent Joe Hart to thank for keeping in touch with a buoyant home side, with the City custodian saving a first-half penalty and making a string of superb saves before finally being beaten after the break.
However, goals from Nicolas Otamendi and a late winner from Sergio Aguero secured a dramatic 2-1 win for Manuel Pellegrini’s side in a what had been a thrilling, attacking duel that the home team could just as easily have emerged from victorious.
It wasn’t pretty, but in the end it was effective and what had looked like another disappointing night in Europe for City turned into anything but.
With Borussia hosting their first Champions League tie in 37 years, there was a carnival atmosphere inside the capacity Borussia-Park stadium as the sides walked out
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Both teams had lost their opening group game and came into the match with mixed form in recent weeks.
The Germans, rejuvenated under caretaker boss Andre Schubert who took command after his predecessor had suffered six straight losses, had won their last two league games, while City’s recent hiccup included three losses out of four.
Yaya Toure passed late fitness tests to bolster an injury-hit Blues but there was still six recognised first-team players missing from the starting line-up.
The Blues began confidently and almost opened up Monchengladbach with the first attack of any note on five minutes.
Aleks Kolarov played a fine ball inside the Monchengladbach full-back for Raheem Sterling who, in turn, slid the ball across the six-yard box to Aguero but his sliding shot was straight at the keeper and the chance was gone.
Borussia were playing good, incisive football and there was more than a hint of danger when Hermann broke clear on the right, but he dragged a low shot wide of goal.
It was a warning that went unheeded as Borussia continued to cause numerous problems and when Raffael went down after appearing to catch the boot of a floored Otamendi, the referee awarded a penalty.
The last time Hart faced a Champions League spot-kick, he denied Lionel Messi from 12 yards – and the result was the same here, as Raffael’s low shot was expertly palmed away by a man who never disappoints on the big stage.
Not satisfied with keeping his team level, he then gobbled up the resulting corner and sent an inch-perfect 60-yard ball into the path of Aguero, but the slightly mis-firing Kun sent a low shot a few wide past the post.
Raffael and Hermann were then both denied in the space of a few minutes by superb Hart saves and Fernandinho’s untidy challenge in the box on Stindl could have easily resulted in another penalty as the Blues clung on at times in a see-saw game with neither defence looking particularly watertight.
With Yaya Toure’s hamstring problem appearing to resurface, the Ivorian was replaced by Fernando at the break
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Hart was again called upon within a minute of the restart as Raffael – again – broke clear on the right yet again but the City and England No.1 beat away his curling drive to further frustrate the home crowd – but seven minutes later, they were finally on their feet celebrating.
Another dangerous foray forward by Borussia saw City stretched to the limit, but this time the delivery from the right was executed with precision as Lars Stindl arrived unmarked and buried a low drive that even Hart couldn’t stop.
City looked punch-drunk and if this were a boxing match, the Blues would have been staggering on their feet - but like all good prize fighters, they were still in the bout and on 67 minutes, parity was restored, even if it was somewhat against the run of play.
Martin Demichelis connected with a cross from close range and though his kneed shot was clearly over the line, the ball was hacked to the edge of the box where Otamendi’s shot was deflected into the net by Christensen for his first City goal.
It was just what the doctor ordered and suddenly, there was belief again and Pellegrini’s men had gone from one extreme to the other, dominating the latter stages as, typically, they went for broke.
Aguero, Fernandinho and sub Jesus Navas all saw efforts either go narrowly wide or blocked as this breathless affair edged towards its climax.
And, in the dying seconds, City snatched victory. A cross into the box found Aguero who controlled the ball, nudged it forward and was brought down by Johnson’s flailing foot, giving the referee an easy decision to point to the spot. Aguero kept his cool and sent Sommer the wrong way to wrap up what had, at one stage, looked an unlikely victory.
The Blues had ridden their luck at times, but showed the kind of spirit that suggests this could be a huge result in the grand scheme of things.
