Man City 4-1 Dortmund

Erling Haaland and Phil Foden were among the goalscorers as Man City thrashed Dortmund 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium yesterday. The English side dominated from start to finish and saw themselves to a comfortable yet crucial win that took them to 4th on the League Phase table and well in contention for the top 8 places.

Bernardo Silva was given a rest as we saw starts for Tijani Reijnders, Nico Gonzalez, Jeremy Doku and Savio alongside usual starters like Erling Haaland and Phil Foden. In the usual 3421 for Dortmund, Jobe Bellingham was on the bench as Niko Kovac started Maximilian Beier and Karim Adeyemi behind Serhou Guirassy with Felix Nmecha and Marcel Sabitzer as the double pivot.

From minute 1, the match showed signs of strong intensity and despite the final scoreline suggesting an early City rout. The initial ten minutes saw Borussia Dortmund start brightly, appearing cool and composed in possession as they looked to establish their presence at the Etihad Stadium. Dortmund’s right-winger, Karim Adeyemi, posed an early threat with his pace, indicating the German side’s adventurous approach.

However, the game’s first significant moment belonged to the home side in the 9th minute, when Phil Foden registered the first shot on target, a clear indication of City beginning to assert their quality and testing Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. After this, Manchester City started to dominate possession from the 10th to the 20th minute, steadily dropping the visitors deep into their own half. Despite lively moments from City wingers Jeremy Doku and Savinho, clear-cut chances remained elusive during this period.

The turning point that broke Dortmund’s resistance arrived in the 22nd minute with the first goal. Phil Foden opened the scoring for Manchester City, receiving a pass from Tijjani Reijnders, maneuvering into space, and unleashing a precise low drive from about 22 yards into the bottom corner. This goal was a culmination of City’s growing control. Foden’s superb finish was quickly followed up by an opportunity for Nico O’Reilly in the 27th minute, though his shot from inside the box was tipped over the bar by Kobel.

Momentum shifted decisively in City’s favour in the 29th minute when Erling Haaland scored the second goal. Haaland, captaining the side and facing his former club, was clinical in converting a cutback from Doku, who had jinked his way into the box on the left. The Norwegian striker emphatically smashed the ball home from close range.

Dortmund were under severe pressure and in the 33rd minute Gregor Kobel was forced into action again, this time a stinging drive from Reijnders. Haaland attempted to pounce on the rebound, but his subsequent header was off target. Dortmund’s best chance of the half came in the 39th minute, when Adeyemi cut inside from the right and fired a left-footed shot, demanding a good save from City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The final minutes of the first half saw City continue to control the game and possession, taking a commanding 2-0 lead into the break.

The second half began with Manchester City making a bright start, determined to kill the game off. In the 46th minute, City’s Savinho had a shot from the right saved by Kobel. City continued to pin Dortmund deep in their own half during the initial second-half minutes. The expected third goal arrived in the 57th minute, with Phil Foden completing his brace. Receiving another pass from Reijnders on the edge of the area, Foden brilliantly found space and curled a low shot past Kobel again, making the score 3-0 with a superb finish.

Shortly after City’s third goal, in the 61st minute, Savinho was again involved, this time firing a volley over the bar from a Foden cross, highlighting a flowing City move that went unrewarded.
Dortmund coach Niko Kovac then attempted a desperate measure to salvage the game, implementing a quadruple substitution in the 67th minute, Emre Can, Pascal Gross, Jobe Bellingham, and Carney Chukwuemeka were introduced to replace Bensebaini, Sabitzer, Guirassy, and Beier. This raft of changes had an immediate impact, injecting new life into the Dortmund attack.

The substitutions paid off in the 72nd minute when Waldemar Anton pulled a goal back for Dortmund. A quick free-kick was played wide to Julian Ryerson, whose low cross was expertly converted by the centre-back Anton at the near post, beating Donnarumma. This frustrating goal for City gave Dortmund a lifeline. Dortmund pressed on, and in the 76th minute, City defender John Stones had to make a vital, desperate block to deny an Adeyemi strike from inside the box, preserving the 3-1 lead.

Guardiola responded to Dortmund’s resurgence with a triple substitution of his own in the 78th minute: Bernardo Silva, Rayan Cherki, and Rúben Dias were brought on to replace Savinho, Doku, and Reijnders, aiming to restore control and refresh the team. Dortmund made one final attacking change in the 81st minute, bringing on Fabio Silva for Adeyemi. In the 82nd minute, City’s Nico O’Reilly received a yellow card for a foul, one of the few disciplinary moments of the game. City made their final substitutions in the 86th minute, with Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri replacing Haaland and O’Reilly.

The match’s final action came in the 91st minute, with substitute Rayan Cherki sealing the 4-1 victory. Cherki restored City’s three-goal cushion, driving into the box and beating Kobel with a cool, low strike from just inside the area to cap off an emphatic night for Manchester City.