Dortmund vs Manchester City Match Preview and Prediction

By John


 In what is set to be a fascinating contest, Borussia Dortmund host Manchester City for a crucial UEFA Champions League (UCL) clash with just two group stage rounds remaining. BVB's youngsters smashed Stuttgart 5-0 last weekend, as three teenagers (Jude Bellingham, Giovanni Reyna and Youssoufa Moukoko) scored for the same team in one game for the first time in Bundesliga history, with this exciting side now aiming to avenge their cruel UCL group stage exit on H2H goal difference last season.


Now making a club-record seventh consecutive UCL appearance, Dortmund have fared well in the UCL group stage this term (W2, D1, L1), though that one defeat came against City in the reverse fixture (2-1). The Germans now need two points from their final two games to be certain of qualification for the Round of 16 but they know just a point here would all but see them through, due to a superior H2H record over fellow Group G competitors Sevilla and Copenhagen.


The visitors are not under the same pressure, having already sealed their progression to the knockouts with two games to spare (W3, D1). Manager Pep Guardiola will be aware that avoiding defeat here will  see his City side qualify in top spot however, so we shouldn't expect complacency from the English juggernauts who have lost just two of their past 27 games at this stage (W20, D5)!


Yet the Cityzens were held to a 0-0 stalemate at Copenhagen in their last UCL trip, the first game of their campaign in which they'd failed to score, before following that up with another blank in a 1-0 loss to Liverpool. However, a comfortable 3-1 win over Brighton at the weekend, in which Erling Haaland snatched a brace just as he did in their 4-0 triumph at Sevilla on matchday three, means City should be feeling confident of securing a result that will see them finish top of their UCL group for a fifth consecutive season.


Key battle: Bellingham is in superb form, becoming the third-youngest player to score a league brace for Dortmund last weekend, whilst also netting the opener when these sides last met. Aiming to thwart the driving runs of the midfielder will be Manuel Akanji, with the ex-BVB defender moving to City over the summer, having previously played for the Germans alongside fellow teammate Haaland.

Hot streak: Dortmund have not beaten Premier League opposition in their last nine attempts (D1, L8).

Fottennis Prediction: Dortmund 1  Manchester City 3


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