Introduction
It’s time for the 2nd leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. The first leg was ever so close with only one goal separating the two teams. The first leg ended in a 2-1 win for City which should have been 2-2 but a Jude Bellingham goal was disallowed by the referee. More importantly, Borussia Dortmund has the away goal and the confidence they need for this game.
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Why Should You be Watching?
This encounter again promises to be thrilling and close. The margins are gonna be tiny in this game for sure. Both of these teams possess great attacking prowess and talented players. Pep Guardiola wants his team to play their normal attacking football. On the other hand, Dortmund will go all out for the goal. A 1-0 win would do for the German side. They have all the reasons to play all-out attacking football.
Build Up
Manchester City
The team’s form has surely dipped a bit after a 2-1 home defeat to 10-men Leeds United. They decided to rest some of their key players like Kevin De Bruyne for the Leeds game. Their confidence must have dropped down a little bit but that surely won’t stop them from playing the brand of football they are known to play. Pep Guardiola is certainly confident about his team and wants them to “Go for the win”.
Manchester City form: LWWWW
Borussia Dortmund
Unlike their counterparts, the German side has gathered decent form recently. After a good performance and almost earning a draw at the Etihad, the German side traveled to Stuttgart for their Bundesliga fixture. They emerged victorious by 3-2. Captain maestro Marco Reus scored again while youngsters Knauff and Bellingham scored their first Bundesliga goals respectively. Though Marco Reus and Mats Hummels were suspected to be injured, both of them returned to training today. The team is looking in quite good shape and has a good record at home in UCL matches.
Borussia Dortmund form: WLLDW
Team News
Borussia Dortmund
Once again Dortmund will be without the services of Jadon Sancho, Youssoufa Moukoko, Witsel, and Zagadou. While there is uncertainty about Reus and Hummels starting the game after picking up injuries in their last game. American star kid, Giovanni Reyna is expected to start in this game while Emre Can starts on the bench after his mediocre performance last time out.
Predicted Lineups
Hitz
Morey, Akanji, Hummels, Guerreiro
Delaney, Bellingham, Dahoud
Reyna, Haaland, Reus
Manchester City
For City, Pep Guardiola risked a number of players at the weekend and watched his team get beaten by 10-man Leeds United. With the Premier League all but wrapped up, it was a risk the manager was willing to make with Ruben Dias, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez, and Kevin De Bruyne all set to return.
Predicted Lineups
Ederson
Walker, Dias, Stones, Cancelo
Rodri, Gundogan,
De Bruyne, Foden, Silva
Mahrez
Head to Head
These two teams have faced off only twice till now. Both of them date back to the 2012-13 season of the UCL. Out of these, one match ended in a 1-1 draw at the Etihad while the other one was won 1-0 by Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park.
The team from Germany must be looking to repeat what they did back in 2012-13 season.
Players to Watch Out For
Manchester City
Kevin De Bruyne
Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne was the man of the match in the first leg. His lofted pass in the 90th minute resulted in the city taking the lead again after Reus equalized for the away side in the 84th minute. Before that, he had earlier scored in the game to give his side the much-required lead. The Belgian midfielder will be a key asset for the club from Manchester once again tonight and will be expected to run the show in midfield.
Phil Foden
The young English midfielder was a constant threat to Dortmund’s defense in the first leg. The youngster’s blistering pace and silky skills allow him to create some superb chances. Young Dortmund right-back Mathieu Morey found it really difficult to cope up with Foden and had to be substituted later. Foden was the one who scored the winning goal for City in the 90th minute.
Dortmund
Marco Reus
Dortmund’s captain will be a key asset for his team in this game. He has scored in his last two games and is in good form. Besides this, he knows exactly how to deal with the pressure of such big games and encourage his teammates. The German, however, picked up an injury in Stuttgart and had to be substituted early. Although, he and Hummels returned to training yesterday and will be expected to start in this game.
Jude Bellingham
The young Englishman was one of the coolest players on the pitch last time out. His performance was really appreciated and he got a lot of praise for that. He also scored a goal that was disallowed by the referee. He, like his captain, has now scored in his last two games. Jude will definitely be looking to deliver another great performance this time out and make his team victorious.
Conclusion
No doubt we are going to witness a great clash again tonight. There is little to choose between these two sides, considering the quality that both of these teams possess. Both of these teams will be going for the win. It’s about who wants it more badly. We might well see this game going to extra time and maybe even penalties. It’s going to be one heck of a contest.
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