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Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan believes that having a proper number 9 will boost the Cityzens' chances of winning the UEFA Champions League this season.
Manchester City have enjoyed significant domestic success since Pep Guardiola took charge of them in 2016. The Spanish tactician has led them to 11 trophies, including four Premier League titles.
Despite their dominance in England, the Cityzens are yet to taste success in the Champions League. They came close to winning the competition in the 2020-21 season, but lost to Chelsea in the final.
Guardiola and Co. are still determined to get their hands on Ol' Big Ears and hope this is finally their year. They have been pitted against Borussia Dortmund, Copenhagen and Sevilla in group G this term.
Analyzing Manchester City's chances of winning the Champions League, Gundogan feels having a proper goalscorer in their team will help them a lot. The midfielder acknowledged the difficulty in winning the competition, but is hopeful of doing so with the Cityzens. He told a press conference:
“We hope for it. This year having a proper number 9 playing as a striker is going to help us a lot. We will see and the Champions League is an incredible thing to achieve. It is never easy to play in this competition and sometimes little details can decide the outcome.”
The Premier League champions have a reliable goalscorer in their ranks this term in the shape of Erling Haaland.
Haaland starred in Manchester City's Champions League opener last week
Manchester City strengthened their attack by signing Haaland from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. They forked out a sum of £51 million to acquire the striker's services.
Haaland has since been in red hot form for the Cityzens, with his goalscoring tally already in double digits. He has found the back of the net 10 times in six Premier League games so far.
The Norway international marked his Champions League debut for Guardiola's side by grabbing a brace against Sevilla last week. He helped the side beat the La Liga outfit 4-0 away from home.
Haaland is now preparing to face his former club Borussia Dortmund in the competition. The English champions are scheduled to host the Bundesliga club at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday (September 14).
The 22-year-old will be determined to maintain his fine form when Borussia Dortmund visit England. It is worth noting that Gundogan, who joined the Cityzens from the German club in 2016, will also be facing his former side on Wednesday.
