Manchester City will host Borussia Dortmund in a UEFA Champions League tie at the Etihad on Wednesday, eager to continue their impressive run a form.

Manchester City have picked up five wins from their last six matches in all competitions ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash vs Borussia Dortmund. The Citizens are full of confidence and momentum right now.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s men have picked up two wins and a draw from the three Champions League matches this season. They will be the favourites heading into this game. On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund are in impressive form coming into this game as well.  The Black and Yellows have picked up four wins in a row.

Niko Kovac’s men will look to pull off an upset away from home and grind out a morale-boosting result here. The visitors are certainly a capable team, and there is no reason why they cannot trouble Manchester City if they manage to raise their performance levels. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.

Team News & Tactics

Manchester City

Mateo Kovacic remains sidelined for the home side due to an ankle injury. Manchester City will shape up in their usual 4-1-4-1 formation vs Borussia Dortmund, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal.

Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly will start as the full-backs. They will help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ruben Dias will start alongside Josko Gvardiol at the heart of the Manchester City defence.

As for the midfield unit, Nico Gonzalez will start as the anchor in the middle of the park, and he will look to dictate the tempo of the game from the deep. Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden will start as the advanced midfielders. They will add creativity to the side.

Savinho and Jeremy Doku will add pace, flair and goals from the flanks, with Erling Haaland leading the line for Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad on Wednesday night.

Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gonzalez; Doku, Reijnders, Foden, Savinho; Haaland

Borussia Dortmund

The away team will be without Julien Duranville for the UEFA Champions League clash at the Etihad this midweek. Borussia Dortmund will shape up in a 3-4-1-2 formation vs Manchester City, with Gregor Kobel in goal.

In the back three, Waldemar Anton will start alongside Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini. Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson will start as the wing-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.

As for the midfield unit, Marcel Sabitzer will start alongside Felix Nmecha in central midfield, and they will look to add control and defensive cover to the side. Maximilian Beier will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create opportunities for his teammates in the final third. Karim Adeyemi will lead the line for Borussia Dortmund alongside Serhou Guirassy.

Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Sabitzer, Nmecha, Svensson’ Beier; Adeyemi, Guirassy

Key Stats

• 12 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
• Borussia Dortmund have picked up four wins in a row in all competitions.
• Manchester City have picked up five wins from their last six matches in all competitions.
• Manchester City are unbeaten in five of the last six meetings against Borussia Dortmund.
• Borussia Dortmund have netted the opening goal in two of their three away matches against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League, but have been denied a victory on both occasions by goals conceded from the 80th minute onwards (drew 1-1 in October 2012 and lost 2-1 in September 2022).

Player to Watch

Erling Haaland

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The Manchester City striker is our key player to watch out for. He will be crucial for the home team as they look to pick up all three points. The 25-year-old has been in very impressive form, and he will look to score goals once again. He will help create opportunities for his teammates and look to find the back of the net for himself.

Borussia Dortmund have been quite vulnerable defensively, and they need to improve in that area of the pitch if they want to keep the Norwegian quiet. They will know all about him, having witnessed his qualities first-hand when he played for them.

Meanwhile, Haaland could become the first player to score in five consecutive UEFA Champions League appearances for as many as three different teams, having previously done so for Red Bull Salzburg (November 2019, five games) and Borussia Dortmund (March 2021, six games).

Haaland has also scored in his last four outings in the competition for the Citizens, netting six goals in total. It remains to be seen whether the Norwegian can guide Manchester City to all three points. Borussia Dortmund have conceded at least once in four of their last six outings, and Haaland could punish them here.

Prediction

Manchester City 3-1 Borussia Dortmund

Both teams love playing attacking football, and this could be an entertaining affair. There is likely to be plenty of chances on offer, and this one could be packed with goals. The two sides are likely to get on the score sheet here.

However, Manchester City have more quality and depth in the attacking unit. They should be able to grind out a victory at home. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.