Manchester City does not have fond memories of German opposition from last season’s competition. How will they fare this season?
City was placed in the ‘group of death’ last season alongside Bayern, Napoli and Villarreal. On Match-day Two, they traveled to Munich and were punished. The 2-0 score-line did not do Bayern justice. By the hour mark, Roberto Mancini had reverted to damage limitation. On the final match-day of the group stages, they did beat the Bavarians. However, Bayern had already topped the group by then and fielded a ‘Reserve XI’.
Dortmund did not fare well against English opposition either last season. They opened their campaign in Germany against Arsenal and ended up with a 1-1 draw despite dominating the match. In London, two early injuries shook them up badly and they were consigned to a 2-1 defeat. However, Dortmund will be coming into this match with much more confidence.
Firstly, Dortmund won against Ajax on Match-day One, 1-0. The margin of victory should have been at-least two goals as Mats Hummels missed a penalty. Robert Lewandowski’s finish however was brilliant. He was left on the bench on Saturday when Dortmund played Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Gladbach was torn apart by the ‘other Borussia’. It was a Gladbach old boy that did most of the damage; Marco Reus tore through the Gladbach defence at will. The score-line, 5-0, was an understatement considering how dominating Dortmund was. This victory was much needed for the Ruhr side after they conceded six goals in two matches (3-2 against HSV and 3-3 against Frankfurt).
This huge victory will definitely serve as a ‘warning sign’ to City. It seems that Roberto Mancini is yet to grasp the European style of play. He didn’t play to win on Match-day One. His team was leading twice against Real Madrid and gave the lead away. Real Madrid deserved to win because of the control they had. The fact that Madrid attacked away shows that the European ‘big boys’ don’t have much respect for City yet.
In the league, City has won most of their games but has not been convincing. They beat Fulham thanks to a last gasp goal from a player who made his name in the Bundesliga, Edin Dzeko. They struggled against Arsenal last week and came away with a 1-1 draw only because Arsenal could not convert possession into goals.
Nonetheless, one cannot forget the calibre of each and every player City possesses. The squad is one of the best in the world of football even if they do not play the most eye-catching football. Dortmund however cannot be underestimated. They only know how to play one way- press the opponents into errors and come at them ferociously.
Considering the current form of both sides, this game could go either way.
Prediction: City 2-2 Dortmund
Dortmund did not fare well against English opposition either last season. They opened their campaign in Germany against Arsenal and ended up with a 1-1 draw despite dominating the match. In London, two early injuries shook them up badly and they were consigned to a 2-1 defeat. However, Dortmund will be coming into this match with much more confidence.
Firstly, Dortmund won against Ajax on Match-day One, 1-0. The margin of victory should have been at-least two goals as Mats Hummels missed a penalty. Robert Lewandowski’s finish however was brilliant. He was left on the bench on Saturday when Dortmund played Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Gladbach was torn apart by the ‘other Borussia’. It was a Gladbach old boy that did most of the damage; Marco Reus tore through the Gladbach defence at will. The score-line, 5-0, was an understatement considering how dominating Dortmund was. This victory was much needed for the Ruhr side after they conceded six goals in two matches (3-2 against HSV and 3-3 against Frankfurt).
This huge victory will definitely serve as a ‘warning sign’ to City. It seems that Roberto Mancini is yet to grasp the European style of play. He didn’t play to win on Match-day One. His team was leading twice against Real Madrid and gave the lead away. Real Madrid deserved to win because of the control they had. The fact that Madrid attacked away shows that the European ‘big boys’ don’t have much respect for City yet.
In the league, City has won most of their games but has not been convincing. They beat Fulham thanks to a last gasp goal from a player who made his name in the Bundesliga, Edin Dzeko. They struggled against Arsenal last week and came away with a 1-1 draw only because Arsenal could not convert possession into goals.
Nonetheless, one cannot forget the calibre of each and every player City possesses. The squad is one of the best in the world of football even if they do not play the most eye-catching football. Dortmund however cannot be underestimated. They only know how to play one way- press the opponents into errors and come at them ferociously.
Considering the current form of both sides, this game could go either way.
Prediction: City 2-2 Dortmund
