Manchester City defeated Borussia Dortmund 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium in the fourth round of the Champions League group stage, moving up to fourth place in the standings with 10 points, behind leaders Bayern Munich, Arsenal in second, and Inter Milan in third
One of the reasons for City's overwhelming superiority in the match was their possession of numerous key players, such as Brazilian right winger Savio who exhausted Dortmund's defense with his penetrating runs and dribbling down the right flank. Similarly, Belgian left winger Jeremy Doku completely dominated City's left side and provided the assist for Erling Haaland's second goal. Dutch playmaker Reijnders also played a crucial role, setting up Phil Foden's first and third goals, with Foden himself scoring two of the four goals. Finally, there was the Norwegian striker Haaland, who scored the second goal
City players excelled in off-the-ball movement, creating space, accurate receiving and passing, uninterrupted and accurate passing, spreading out, and individual skills. The understanding between the players was evident, while the understanding was lacking among Dortmund players, who suffered from incomplete attacks in the attacking third, numerous intercepted and incomplete passes, and an inability to create space
The match statistics showed the above, as Manchester City had the upper hand in the number of chances and shots on goal with 14 shots, 9 of which were on goal, compared to 6 shots for Dortmund, only one of which was on goal
Both teams were characterized by high physical fitness and playing until the final whistle. City scored their fourth goal in the 91+ minute, while Dortmund were trying to reduce the goal difference until the final minutes, especially after scoring their first goal in the 72nd minute, narrowing the gap to three goals for City against one for Dortmund
It was clear from the match that Dortmund's defense was weak, conceding four goals, including two identical goals by Phil Foden, both assisted by Renders, one in each half. Dortmund's Croatian coach, Niko Kovac, should have addressed the weakness that led to the first of these goals at halftime to prevent a repeat in the second half
The fans of both teams competed in supporting and encouraging their teams. Manchester City benefited from the home advantage and the support of the fans, while Dortmund fans flocked to support their team and provided strong and continuous encouragement, creating a strong and noticeable atmosphere of support inside the Etihad Stadium
A strong performance from City gives them the third consecutive win after the Swansea match in the League Cup and the Bournemouth match in the English Premier League, bringing back stability in performance and results. This serves as a warning bell for Dortmund, who need to pause to repair the defense and develop the attack in order to return to the path of victories again
