Champions League - Unbeaten Duo Manchester City and Dortmund Set for High-Stakes Clash
by Thobelani Moyo | by Thobelani Moyo
Manchester City unbeaten in three and climbing
Head coach Pep Guardiola has his fingers crossed as he hopes that his side can finish inside the top eight of the UEFA Champions League (league phase) table this season. The previous campaign was somewhat of a letdown as they failed to qualify directly for the knockout stages.
After eight games, the 2023 champions had to settle for 22nd place in the league phase. In a European classic, they were pitted against defending champions Real Madrid in the knockout phase playoffs for a spot in the Round of 16. Unfortunately, their journey was cut short after a 6-3 aggregate setback.
This time around, the Citizens have shown some promising signs that a top-eight finish can be attainable. Having played three matches and, most importantly, yet to lose (W2, D1), they find themselves in ninth place, two points behind third-placed Paris Saint-Germain, the defending champions.
Confidence should also be at a high, considering their last match in the UEFA Champions League (league phase) was a 2-0 away win against Spain's Villareal. They hope to make it two wins in a row when they face Borussia Dortmund. See our Sportytrader betting experts' best Manchester City vs Dortmund prediction. It's worth mentioning that they hold a decent record against this team with three wins in their last six meetings (D2, L1).
Check out Man City's record against German opposition in the UCL:
- Matches played: 30
- Wins: 20
- Draws: 5
- Losses: 5
- Win Ratio: 66.7%
Borussia Dortmund are out to rewrite history against English opposition
The 1996-97 champions, Borussia Dortmund, are out to impress in their tenth consecutive appearance in the UEFA Champions League group/league phase. Out of the four German teams that entered this competition, they are one of two sides, alongside Bayern Munich, that have yet to suffer defeat.
The Black and Yellow have amassed seven points from three games and sit in eighth place. If victory is achieved in this match and results go their way elsewhere, this could see them occupy fourth place by the sound of Wednesday's final whistle.
Their opponents on matchday four are Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. This is a side they were drawn with in the same group (Group G) in the 2022-23 Champions League campaign. Their last meeting ended in a goalless draw, which was enough to see them progress to the last 16 after finishing in second place.
However, that outcome did more harm than good in the grand scheme of things, as it meant they had failed to defeat English opposition in their last ten outings, recording eight losses and two draws. Since then, they have won three of their last four matches against such teams.
Head coach Niko Kovac knows a thing or two about facing English teams. In his managerial career, he has overseen three games - at the time he was managing Bayern Munich - and holds an even record. His only win came against Tottenham Hotspur in the 2019-20 Champions League group stage clash (7-2).
Check out Dortmund's record against English opposition in the UCL:
- Matches played: 26
- Wins: 9
- Draws: 4
- Losses: 13
- Win Ratio: 34.6%
Player battle that could decide it: Erling Haaland vs Aaron Anselmino
Erling Haaland has been a threat in the final third. The 25-year-old is coming off a terrific performance in the league, where he bagged a brace to guide his side to victory over Burnley. He will be hungry to score here, and if successful, that will mark the fourth successive time he has scored in the UEFA Champions League (league phase).
Despite making a few appearances for Dortmund this season, centre-back Aaron Anselmino has proven to be a key cog in this well-oiled machine in his last two appearances. If head coach Niko Kovac decides to go with his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, expect the 20-year-old to be at the heart of defense alongside Bensebaini and Anton. In his last match against Augsburg in the Bundesliga, he won 3/3 aerial duels and 5/8 ground duels. That alone should be able to see him stop the towering Haaland in his tracks this Wednesday.
