Champions League: Manchester City Dominates Dortmund
Every week, Manchester City showcases a new style of play that is incisive and effective. Gone are the endless possession phases: on Wednesday night, the Sky Blues dominated Borussia Dortmund at home with a score of 4-1 in the 4th round of the Champions League group stage, without monopolizing the ball (49% possession), but playing forward whenever possible.
This approach suits Phil Foden perfectly, who has regained his sharpness on the ball. He delivered an outstanding performance at the Etihad, scoring two spectacular goals, both similar long-range left-footed shots that nestled just inside the right post of Gregor Kobel (1-0, 22nd minute and 3-0, 56th minute). The new style also complements Erling Haaland’s abilities, who loves to accelerate and, wearing the captain's armband against his former club, confirmed his status as Europe's leading scorer by netting his 27th goal (for both club and country).
The Norwegian capped off a strong move with a powerful left-footed shot inside the area, following excellent contributions from Savinho and Jérémy Doku, who provided the assist (2-0, 28th minute). The two City players continuously troubled Borussia's defense, creating numerous openings. The score could have been even more severe if Kobel hadn’t made several crucial saves against Foden (10th), Haaland (27th, 43rd, 55th), Tijjani Reijnders (33rd), and Savinho (46th).
Towards the end of the match, the Citizens showed signs of fatigue, becoming less dominant in midfield and unable to retain possession, allowing Dortmund to control the game for a few minutes. Niko Kovac's players seized the opportunity to score following a quickly taken free kick that led to a cross from Julian Ryerson, which Waldemar Anton converted from close range (3-1, 72nd minute). Gianluigi Donnarumma, who had been largely untested until then, was forced into a fine tackle to stop Carney Chukwuemeka (79th minute).
However, it was Rayan Cherki, who came on in the 79th minute, who would have the final word, scoring his first Champions League goal with a slightly deflected right-footed shot (4-1, 90+1 minute). In the end, Borussia suffered their second defeat of the season across all competitions, while City capitalized on this victory to climb to 4th place in the Champions League group stage standings.
