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Manchester City defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, September 13.
The hosts entered the game on the back of a commanding 4-0 away victory against Sevilla. They were handed some much-needed rest as their game against Tottenham over the weekend was postponed following Queen Elizabeth II's death. Pep Guardiola fielded a strong starting XI and handed Manuel Akanji a start against his former club.
Dortmund, on the other hand, have failed to win on English soil since 2013. However, they won their opening game 3-0 against Copenhagen at the Signal Iduna Park. Manager Edin Terzic fielded a strong lineup and was eager for his side's winning run to continue.
Manchester City began the game by keeping possession of the ball for larger spells and applying high pressure on Borussia Dortmund's lines. The visitors showed resilience and kept their shape as Mats Hummels and Thomas Meunier made good starts to the game.
Rodri, Akanji and Nathan Ake looked solid at the back for City as they created most of their passing combinations from the back. They created several chances and attempted multiple shots on goal, but none hit the target. Erling Haaland had very few touches in the first period as Manchester City struggled to get the ball to his feet.
Despite keeping 64% of the possession, City were unable to break through Dortmund's defense. Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish were often isolated as the visitors managed to keep the game narrow with their disciplined approach tactically. Neither side managed to score as the teams went into the break deadlocked at 0-0.
Both teams came out for the second half and played with greater precision and control. Managers from either side seemed to have learnt from their mistakes in the first half and set up the team accordingly. However, Borussia Dortmund struck first.
Marco Reus initially had a lovely chance to score after beating Akanji with a lovely feint. Shortly after, he turned provider as he played a teasing cross into the box. Jude Bellingham did well to get past his marker to head the ball into the net to make it 1-0 after 56 minutes.
Pep Guardiola made three changes immediately after the goal as he looked to turn things around. What initially seemed like a knee-jerk reaction soon started to bear fruit as Manchester City played at a higher tempo.
Hummels did a fantastic job of marking Haaland and preventing multiple quality passes from reaching the Norwegian. Dortmund soon switched things up, playing with more physicality and leaving a little extra behind in tackles. However, Manchester City were no pushovers.
They played with increased confidence and committed several men forward in a bid to equalize. John Stones ventured forward on one occasion and received the ball from De Bruyne about 25 yards from goal. Stones struck it sweetly and the ball found the back of the net. Shortly after, Cancelo played a trivela cross into the box, which Haaland converted to make it 2-1.
The home crowd were right behind the team as they sang with passion. City ended with a flourish as they created several chances in the closing stages. They secured the win and all three points, maintaining top spot in Group G. That said, let's take a loot at their player ratings from the game.
Manchester City Player Ratings
Ederson - 6/10
Ederson was tested early in the game and looked sharp as he denied Salih Ozcan. However, that was the only save he made throughout the game.
John Stones - 7.5/10
Stones often dropped deep as the third center-back and looked sharp in his movement and passing. He scored the equalizer for Manchester City with a stunning long-range shot after 80 minutes.
Manuel Akanji - 7.5/10
Akanji was handed a start against his former club, where he departed in the recently-closed transfer window. He won seven of his 11 duels, making three clearances and four tackles. Akanji also played five long balls with 100% accuracy.
Nathan Ake - 7.5/10
Ake looked composed in defense and was good on the ball. He won six of his seven duels, making two interceptions, one clearance and one tackle. He played a whopping 14 long balls with perfect accuracy.
Joao Cancelo - 8/10
Cancelo was handed a free license to venture forward to support Manchester City's attack. He won five of his eight duels, making one interception and one tackle. He played two key passes, one accurate cross and five accurate long balls. He provided an assist for his side's second goal with a delightful trivela kick.
Rodri - 7/10
Rodri added a steely presence to Manchester City's midfield, using his physique exceptionally well. He played eight accurate long balls and won six of his 10 duels. Rodri was booked for a foul.
Ilkay Gundogan - 6.5/10
Gundogan distributed the ball well and maintained Manchester City's tempo of playing. He passed the ball with 87% accuracy, including one key pass and four long balls.
Kevin De Bruyne - 7.5/10
De Bruyne looked to carve out openings for his side against a rigid Dortmund defense. He passed the ball with 70% accuracy, including two key passes, one cross and one long ball. He also won two of his five duels and provided an assist for City's equalizer.
Riyad Mahrez - 6.5/10
Mahrez looked sharp on the right flank but received the ball very few times. He passed the ball with 74% accuracy, including three long balls. He also completed one dribble and won five of his eight duels.
Jack Grealish - 6.5/10
Grealish was often isolated in wide areas and was forced to drop into midfield to receive the ball. He passed the ball with 91% accuracy, including one key pass and two long balls.
Erling Haaland - 7.5/10
Haaland was unable to get on the ball as much as he wanted, but was always direct and efficient whenever he received it. He only had 26 touches of the ball but attempted three shots, of which one hit the woodwork and one was blocked. He scored with another shot that earned the win for Manchester City.
Substitutes
Julian Alvarez - 6.5/10
Alvarez replaced Riyad Mahrez and put in a decent performance.
Bernardo Silva - 7/10
Bernardo replaced Gundogan and put in an encouraging performance. He passed the ball with 92% accuracy, including one cross and three long balls. He also won two of his three duels.
Phil Foden - 6/10
Foden replaced Grealish and had a decent game. He was booked for a silly foul.
Kalvin Phillips - N/A
He came on in second-half stoppage time and did not contribute enough to warrant a rating.
