Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City will battle for the top spot in the UEFA Champions League Group G when they meet at Signal Iduna Park.
Manchester City will claim top spot in Group G if they manage to grab a positive result against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. The Citizens came from behind to win the reverse fixture and will try to replicate that effort in this away clash.
Manchester City survived a scare as they could not get the best of FC Copenhagen in their last match. And they followed that up with their first loss this season at the hands of Liverpool. A reaction was necessary, and Brighton & Hove Albion were the subject of City’s wrath. And a dominating performance from the English champions would have sent a warning to their opponent ahead of their clash.
Dortmund will be oozing with confidence as they wrapped up their weekend with a thunderous 5-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart. Knowing a win will guarantee a spot in the next stage Edin Terzic will be adamant to see his team put up a statement display. They are currently five points adrift of Sevilla and want to ensure they do not leave it too late to complicate their own fate.
Manchester City’s topsy-turvy Champions League campaigns over the years have kept Pep Guardiola pushing for that elusive title. But 2022/23 might be the year to break the jinx. For now, the Citizens will be focused at the task at hand to seal top spot in Group G this weekend.
Team News & Tactics
Borussia Dortmund
Nico Schlotterbeck had to be hauled off with an ankle issue this past weekend, and the extent of his injury is still unknown. The German international is unlikely to be risked against Manchester City, and Niklas Sule should deputise in his absence.
Thomas Meunier, Sebastien Haller, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Mahmoud Dahoud and Mateu Morey are all sidelined and won’t be available for this match. Donyell Malen and Marco Reus are also in the treatment room and will miss this game.
Gregor Kobel missed a large portion of Borussia Dortmund’s initial few games. But since his return, he has been the preferred choice between the sticks. Sule will return to his natural position, and he will partner Mats Hummels at the heart of the Dortmund defence.
Marius Wolf and Raphael Guerreiro will be given the responsibility to block Manchester City’s advances from the wings. Emre Can will take Salih Ozcan’s place in the middle of the park. The Turkish international will have to sit out this game after accumulating three cautions.
Jude Bellingham will operate from the midfield alongside Can. Karim Adeyemi and Giovanni Reyna will be taking their chances from the wings. Julian Brandt will reprise the number 10 role, and Youssoufa Moukoko will lead the line for Borussia Dortmund against Manchester City.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Wolf, Hummels, Sule, Guerreiro; Bellingham, Can; Adeyemi, Brandt, Reyna; Moukoko
Manchester City
Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips remain on the sidelines, while Sergio Gomez received his marching order against Copenhagen and he will not travel to Germany due to a suspension.
Ederson Moraes recorded an assist against Brighton & Hove Albion. But Borussia Dortmund are unlikely to provide him much room. Ruben Dias should continue his partnership with Aymeric Laporte at the heart of the Manchester City defence, while Nathan Ake and Joao Cancelo will be the full-back duo.
Rodri will be relishing a tough challenge against Borussia Dortmund. The Spanish midfielder will have Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva to assist him in the defensive phases. And the two playmaker will look to provide the creative impetus in the final third.
Phil Foden should start the game on the left wing, while Riyad Mahrez could get the nod on the right flank. Haaland is destined to start up front, and he will look to torment his former club again.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Ake; De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva; Mahrez, Haaland, Foden
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund have won just one of their five UEFA Champions League matches against Manchester City (D1 L3), a 1-0 home victory in the 2012/13 group stage. Manchester City have won their last three UEFA Champions League games against Borussia Dortmund, winning every outing 2-1. No side has ever beaten another by the same score in four consecutive games in the Champions League (Bayern Munich beat Arsenal 5-1 three in a row between 2015 and 2017).
- Manchester City have won 14 of their last 16 UEFA Champions League matches against German teams (D1 L1) but did lose their last away game there 2-1 against RB Leipzig. The Citizens have won 16 games against German opponents in the competition, six more than against any other nation.
- Borussia Dortmund have only lost two of their last 14 home games in the UEFA Champions League (W8 D4), although one of those defeats came against Manchester City in April 2021 (1-2 in the quarter-final second leg).
- Only one team have prevented Borussia Dortmund from scoring in their last 20 games in the UEFA Champions League (0-4 vs Ajax in October 2021). The German giants have averaged 1.9 goals per game in this run, netting 38 times overall.
- Across the first four matchdays in the UEFA Champions League this season, no player has been directly involved in more goals than Erling Haaland (five goals) or Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham (four goals, one assist).
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland should save his best for his former team. But Mats Hummels kept him quiet for most of the time in the last match. Haaland is aware of his potential and will be looking to maintain his devastating UEFA Champions League form.
Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Manchester City
Borussia Dortmund’s recent form has been impressive. But Manchester City would be pressing for a precious three points and might edge out the Bundesliga giants by a solitary goal. The Hard Tackle predicts another 2-1 win for Pep Guardiola’s charges this weekend.
