Wednesday evening, the game was easy at home in the Champions League for Manchester City. The English club gave Borussia Dortmund (4-1) a football lesson thanks to the irresistible Erling Haaland, again a scorer, and a double from Phil Foden.
French striker Rayan Cherki, jumping off the bench, joined the party by scoring after a solo tumble at the start of added time (90th+1, 4-1).
Manchester City’s very good results in C1
With this result, the 2023 European champions proved that they are a force to be reckoned with this year. The ranking is there to prove it: they are 4th in the league phase, undefeated after 4 days.
At home, they crushed a BVB team which had only suffered one defeat so far since the start of the season, on the lawn of the king of the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich (2-1). The reduction in the score of Waldemar Anton (72nd, 3-1) was the only cloud for Pep Guardiola’s Skyblues, in control during the vast majority of the game.
The visitors only put the English in doubt during the first twenty minutes with high pressure which forced the wingers to retreat towards the halfway line, leaving Haaland isolated right up front. The tactics of Niko Kovac and his men were shattered twice in the next ten minutes, by Foden (22nd, 1-0) and Haaland (29th, 2-0), clinical in their finishing.
Haaland captain against his former club
Appointed captain, Haaland added a new pawn to his dizzying collection, but he celebrated it with restraint against his former club. “Erling the Great”, as a banner in the stands proclaimed, representing him with a cape and a Viking helmet, took over with all his power and balanced a cross from Jérémy Doku, electric on Wednesday. This now makes 18 goals in 14 matches (including 5 in the European Cup) for the Norwegian since the start of the season, and 142 in 160 matches played with Manchester City, his club since 2022.
Despite these high-flying statistics, Phil Foden stole the spotlight with a double that few could have predicted. In the second half, he landed a shot very quickly and despite three defenders around him (57th, 3-0). The attacking midfielder is gradually getting back on track after a last season where he went downhill, and his performance this evening could convince coach Thomas Tuchel to recall him on Friday.
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There is still work to be done but the European adventure is well underway for the Citizens before facing Leverkusen and Real Madrid, among others. Before that, there will be the reception of Liverpool on Sunday in the Premier League.
