Joe Hart inspired Manchester City survive Dortmund assault

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 03: Joe Hart of Manchester City blocks the shot of Mario Gotze of Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Champions League Group D match between Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad Stadium. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

On a night where German fans and players alike set the stage on fire, Manchester City had Joe Hart to thank, yet again, for keeping them in contention in Europe. The English ‘keeper pulled off save after save behind a defence that was ripped to shreds, seemingly at will, by the Dortmund attack. His counterpart at the other end, Weidenfeller, was a busy man too. But with only 6 saves to make to Hart’s 9, there was no doubt over who the busier ‘keeper was. City fans, however, will only think it befitting that their team earned a point with a last gasp goal, much like they had lost all 3, when they conceded late against Madrid in their opening fixture.

It was almost the perfect start for City as Dzeko’s flick gave Nasri a shot at goal in the very 1st minute, only to be denied by Weidenfeller. Dortmund were never going to sit back and park the bus though, and were up at the other end in the very next minute, Lewandowski sending a header wide. The teams continued to exchange fire with Lewandowski, Aguero, and Zabaleta all attempting to score, with no success. Joe Hart’s first moment of brilliance came in the 12th minute though, when he just about managed to keep Gotze out when he dove to the corner, and deflected the shot onto the post. Gotze, while denied by a whisker, had another shot from the resulting corner, only to have it blocked. The game seemed set for a goal fest , with Piszczek getting forward at will, amid some poor tracking from Nasri.

The next few minutes, however, saw the game assume a more steady pace, with Dortmund on the attack, and City reliant on the counter in front of their home fans, much opposed to what was expected. Aguero had a couple of shots on target, having been fed by Silva on both occasions, only for Weidenfeller to deny him. The attempts came on either side of an injury to City new boy, Javi Garcia, who was replaced with another new signing, Jack Rodwell, in the 34th minute. Dortmund then had a spell of three attempts in two minutes, two of which were from Gotze, only to be denied spectacularly yet again. Joe Hart had not only managed to keep Gotze out by making himself big, but then denied a fierce shot by turning it onto the cross bar. City seemed particularly vulnerable, with even Yaya Toure unable to break the shackles and relieve the pressure, while Piszczek was causing mayhem on the right flank.

David Silva should have put City in front, however, as Zabaleta managed to find him just a few yards from goal, only for the diminutive Spaniard to miss the target. There was just enough time for one last attack from Dortmund though, as Gundogan nearly got his team the lead, only for Joe Hart to pull off a reflex save. Jurgen Klopp’s would no doubt have been the easier team talk, heading into half time at 0-0.

Mario Gotze was left wondering what it would take to beat his man, as he was denied yet again by Hart in the 54th minute, when he dove to his right to deny a curler, one of Gotze’s 6 attempts at scoring. It didn’t take much more for Mancini to realise the danger that Piszczek posed, and he replaced Nasri with a more defense-minded Kolarov in the 57th minute. It was a move that worked for City, as Piszczek was less of a threat than he was while he was roaming unchecked in the first half.

To City fans’ dismay however, Dortmund took the lead soon after, through Dortmund’s season top scorer, Marco Reus. There wasn’t much that Joe Hart could do on this occasion, as a poor sideways pass from Rodwell, meant for Kompany, was easily intercepted by Reus, and he made no mistake. This brought on a sustained spell of pressure from Dortmund, as every attempt at getting forward by City only left them more vulnerable. Reus, Gotze, and Gundogan were all denied in a span of 3 minutes; City fans watching nervously as the German fans grew more and more vocal.

It was then Lewandowski’s chance to miss from close range, as the Polish striker missed a golden opportunity to put the game to bed. Mats Hummels, meanwhile, had to be replaced because of a knock, and Dortmund fans will hope it’s nothing serious. Having hung on to the game with some desperate defending, Mancini finally decided to have a go, considering a 6-point deficit in this group in Europe would almost certainly mean the end of their campaign. So it was, that the infamous Italian, Mario Balotelli, came on for Clichy with ten minutes remaining.

The substitution brought a semblance of menace to the City attack, and in the last minute of normal time, Sergio Aguero tried to flick a ball in the box, which hit Subotic’s hand, and earned City a penalty. Looking back at that decision, one will say that there wasn’t much Subotic could have done about it, but it was a penalty nonetheless. It was the substitute, Balotelli, who stepped up to take the penalty, and dispatched it calmly to equalise for City, and send the fans into their trademark celebrations. While Dortmund tried desperately to earn a well deserved 3 points, with 3 late attempts on target, City seemed to have learned their lesson from the Madrid game, and managed to keep them out, earning an ill deserved draw.

It is a result that keeps City in contention, with only a 3-point deficit to Dortmund. Madrid, on the other hand, seem well set to qualify from this group, as they thrashed Ajax for their second win in a row. But even if City do want to make it, they’ll have to do it like they’ve always done; the hard way.

Result: Manchester City (Balotelli 90′) 1 – 1 Borussia Dortmund (Reus 61′)