Clash of the Champions: Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 01: Freddie Sears of West Ham United competes for the ball with Yaya Toure and David Silva (L) of Manchester City during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham United at the City of Manchester Stadium on May 1, 2011 in Manchester, England.

It is a clash of the Champions yet again in Group D, as German winners Borussia Dortmund take on English champions Manchester City at the Etihad stadium. An opening day 3-2 loss in the dying moments of the game to Real Madrid, sees City stand third in the table, immediately below Dortmund, who scored a narrow 1-0 victory over Ajax. With no easy games in this group, consisting of four different league winners from last season, Roberto Mancini’s men will no doubt be looking to open their tally with a full set of points in front of their home fans. Dortmund, on the other hand, have had a below par start to their domestic season, and will be looking to dramatically boost their chances of qualification from the Group of Death by securing all three points, though they would undoubtedly be the happier of the two teams with a draw. With flair, pace, and quality aplenty on both sides, this should be one helluva watch for the fans and neutrals alike.

Form

LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 29: Edin Dzeko #10 of Manchester City celebrates after scoring his team’s winning goal in the Barclays Premier League match between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage, London, England on 29 September 2012.

Manchester City: W D L D L

While it may come as a surprise to many, City have only scored one win over their last five games in all competitions, being knocked out of the English League Cup in the process. However, City fans can take heart in the fact that this win came over the previous weekend, with signs of players like Silva and Aguero hitting their stride. Even the games that City have dropped points in have usually been tough ones away to Madrid, Stoke, and at home to Arsenal. The one remaining game, a loss to Aston Villa, was one where City featured a team with only 2-3 regular starters, and can be neglected for all purposes of discussion. Thus, with last season’s Players’ Player of the Year award winner David Silva back on form, City will hope to slip past a leaky Dortmund defence on every occasion possible.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 02: Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund during a training session at the Etihad Stadium on October 2, 2012 in Manchester, England.

Borrusia Dortmund: D W W L D

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund have had an equally poor run of games, with only two victories in their last five competitive fixtures. Dortmund fans have grown increasingly wary of taking the lead in matches, since their team have almost inevitably conceded in every game they have done so. Against a City attack oozing skill, Dortmund’s defence will once again be put to the sword, with Mats Hummels hoping to marshal his charges to a clean sheet for a second successive European game. Up front however, Dortmund have had absolutely no problems finding the back of the net, scoring 15 times in 6 games this season. In spite of this high count, they have been fairly wasteful in front of goal, with an average of only eight shots on target per game out of an average total of 17 shots per game. Of course, City have an even poorer record, with the numbers being seven and 18 respectively, but with Joe Hart in between the sticks, City might well be able to afford scuffing more chances than Dortmund.

Injuries:

Manchester City – Maicon, Micah Richards

Borussia Dortmund: None

Key Clashes

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 23: Joleon Lescott of Manchester City celebrates scoring the first goal with his Gael Clichy of Manchester City during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on September 23, 2012 in Manchester, England.

Lucasz Piszczek vs. Gael Clichy

In a fullback vs. fullback scenario, we see two players with incredible pace, an eagerness to attack, and a proven pattern of running on the overlap. Thus, with similar qualities, and perhaps a minor neglect of defensive duties, both teams will look to their players to step up their game, and come out on top. While Clichy is a well established name, Piszczek has been instrumental in Dortmund’s rise to fame, along with fellow Pole Blaszczykowski on the right hand side for Dortmund. Thus, while Clichy has no real attacking statistic to speak of for all his forward runs, Piszczek can boast of one goal and four assists already this season, including one in the game against Ajax, making him favourite to win this clash.

Sergio Aguero vs. Mats Hummels & Neven Subotic

The Argentine striker has been key to Manchester City’s meteoric rise since arriving from Atletico a season ago. It was only fitting that he scored the last gasp winner that clinched the title for City, and has shown no signs of slowing down, in spite of having suffered an injury on the opening weekend of the Premier League. He has already scored once this season, and will be looking to improve on that tally. While Yaya Toure has been City’s best player thus far this season, it is likely Aguero who will torment the opposition. Dortmund, on the other hand, have been shaky in defence this season, conceding three goals in a game on two different occasions. Last season’s solid performances at the back were vital in Dortmund’s league success, and Klopp will be hoping that his players play out of their skins to keep City at bay at the Etihad, which has been an absolute fortress in the recent past. Aerially, Aguero is no match for either centre half, but with the ball at his feet, Weidenfeller might well have to be on his toes.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 02: Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund stretches during a training session at the Etihad Stadium on October 2, 2012 in Manchester, England.

Marco Reus vs Pablo Zabaleta & Joleon Lescott

German international Marco Reus, who made splashes with the few opportunities in the German squad at the Euros has been the outstanding performer for Dortmund this season. He is their top scorer, with 4 goals, and also has an assist to his name. Much like he did for Germany, Reus likes to cut in from the left wing, and have a go at goal, often with alarming accuracy and skill. He also has considerable pace, and tricky feet in case he decides to hug the touchline and deliver a ball into the box. Zabaleta, on the other hand, is considered by many as a back-up for Richards, and even Maicon. However, he has put in some solid performances this season, and might even retain his spot in the squad. But, with a tendency to dive into tackles, he will need to be careful. Lescott has been a victim of Mancini’s newly adopted rotation policy, with young Serbian Nastasic replacing him on more than one occasion. Thus. if Lescott starts, and he should, he will have his work cut-out trying to stop the devilish shots from breaching the defence.

What to expect

An absolute cracker of a game. With City desperate to keep Madrid in sight, as well as to not concede a 6-point advantage to Dortmund, there can be no doubt that they will look to attack with all their might. Dortmund, on the other hand, are experts on the counter, and will be looking to expose City’s defence with their furious pace on the right wing. With such end to end action, this is one game you certainly don’t want to miss!