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One of the most anticipated fixtures of the Champions League quarter-finals was the game between Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad Stadium.
When the draw was first made, many expected Pep Guardiola’s side to have it easy against the Bundesliga outfit. Dortmund’s poor form in the league also contributed to this school of thought.
However, the Black and Yellows proved their mettle by matching Manchester City on Tuesday night. The English side opened the scoring in the first half through Kevin De Brunye but Dortmund fought their way into the game, with Marco Reus equalising with six minutes to go.
Manchester City, however, had the last laugh, with Phil Foden scoring the winner at the death to give the Cityzens a narrow advantage going into the second leg.
Close shave for Manchester City
Guardiola’s side may have won on Tuesday but it was not a convincing performance. Manchester City sometimes rode their luck and were fortunate not to have conceded in the first half.
A legitimate goal from Jude Bellingham was wrongly ruled out by the referee when Manchester City were leading by just a single goal. Replays later showed that the goal should have stood, as Ederson kicked the Dortmund midfielder in an attempt to clear the ball.
On another day, such an error could have proved costly for Manchester City and that goal, had it stood, could have changed the complexion of the game.
This was a close shave for Manchester City and Guardiola knows it. Dortmund may not boast the same quality as the Cityzens but they are a team that doesn’t hide and, therefore, cannot be completely ruled out of the tie.
Tie far from over
Guardiola was quick to admit after the game that his side failed to deal with the pressure from the German side. The result could have been different had it not been for Dortmund's wastefulness.
The German side created several chances and should have scored at least twice. The usually lethal Erling Haaland was even culpable for missing a one-on-one chance when he was put through on goal.
“We felt the pressure, we didn’t know how we would play,” Guardiola noted in his post-match press conference, as quoted by the Guardian.
“It’s better to win than draw so, yeah, there’s relief. In the first half, we were not clever with the ball or our passing. Today, the build-up was not good. It’s normal. The opponent is strong, with quality and pace up front," Guardiola added.
A 2-1 result from the first leg is not convincing and the tie remains wide open ahead of the second leg.
