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Manchester City host Borussia Dortmund in the fourth week of Champions League action. Both teams sit in the automatic qualifying places right next to each other in sixth and seventh, both on seven points, both having not lost in this season’s competition.
Whilst the form is good for City, they are fast being labelled a one-man team. That goes to completely undermine all the good work that happens to set up that one-man, but Erling Haaland will be the main focus of this match again. This is not just down to the sheer number of goals he has scored this season, but also because this match is between his current and his old teams. A win on the weekend against Bournemouth, with Haaland scoring two, has boosted the mood of City fans after losing to Aston Villa in the match prior, readying them for this Champions League clash.
Dortmund are in a great run of form themselves. A win on the weekend was the fourth in a row (including a penalty shootout) and their tenth overall this season. The only team to beat them so far in all competitions has been Bayern Munich, showing the consistency of Dortmund compared to previous years. This trip to the North West of England is set to be a big task for them to overcome; however, confidence will be high with Die Schwarzgelben, and a potential win will definitely be on their minds.
Manchester City v Borussia Dortmund key information
• Date: Wednesday, November 5th
• Kick-off time: 20:00 GMT
• Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
• Referee: Szymon Marciniak
• VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski
• TV channels: TNT Sports (UK)
• Odds: MCI (2/5) - DRAW (4/1) - BVB (6/1)
Manchester City team news
It seems that City are finally done with their injury crisis. Fans were delighted to see Rodri back on the pitch this weekend, for the first time since he hobbled off against Brentford at the beginning of October. A start may be too far for him on Wednesday, but a short run-out is expected.
Rayan Cherki seems to have put the setbacks from his injury firmly behind him with a stellar performance against Bournemouth. Since his return against Everton, he has only had more than 15 minutes on the pitch once, and that was against Swansea in the EFL Cup. This was his first start in the Premier League since the defeat to Tottenham in August, and with two assists, he made his mark.
The other Rayan, Rayan Ait Nouri, made his return to Premier League action, too, but Abdukodir Khusanov was not in the squad, having come back from injury for the Swansea game. The only long-term injury now remains Mateo Kovacic, who looks to be out for many months more.
Haaland showed that he was not feeling any effects from his collision with the post in the Aston Villa game that ruled him out of the EFL Cup tie. He scored on the weekend and now looks to torment his former employer again. If he does score this gameweek, he would become the first player to score in five consecutive UEFA Champions League appearances for as many as three different teams, having previously done so for RB Salzburg and Dortmund. With six goals so far, a betting man would not look past him scoring again.
Manchester City predicted lineup v Dortmund, (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Pep Guardiola
Donnarumma; O’Reilly, Gvardiol, Dias, Nunes; Nico, Silva; Doku, Foden, Cherki; Haaland.
Borussia Dortmund team news
Friday's win against Augsburg was BVB’s seventh clean sheet in 14 games this season, highlighting the strength of their defence. This clean sheet was earned even though they were without Nico Schlotterbeck, who felt unwell with a bout of flu. Dortmund are confident that he will return for the trip to City, after he trained individually on Monday. Dortmund were also without Niklas Süle for the win against Augsburg, with a toe injury. He is expected to travel to England for this tie, yet it will be seen if he is to play.
Whilst a lot of focus will be on City’s striker, Dortmund will be happy that their own has broken their duck. Serhou Guirassy finally ended his five-game goal drought on Friday, slotting the ball into the back of the net after 37 minutes. Guirassy was the top goalscorer in the Champions League last season and will be hoping to find that form again to spearhead a strong year for 2024’s beaten finalists.
There will undoubtedly be a focus on another member of the Dortmund squad with Jobe Bellingham returning to England. The young midfielder left Sunderland for Dortmund this summer and has had a difficult start to life in Germany. Much has been made about Jobe not being Niko Kovac’s first choice in the middle of the park, but Kovac has said that they want to help him acclimatise to the league rather than throwing him in. With the frenzy that the English media can be, any appearance by the younger of the Bellingham brothers will be dissected forensically, yet he can have faith in his position in the team, no matter what, with Kovac’s assurances, complimenting Jobe's quality and revealing their long-term plan for him.
Borussia Dortmund predicted lineup v Man City, (3-4-2-1)
Coach: Niko Kovac
Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Sabitzer, Nmecha, Svensson; Beier, Adeyemi; Guirassy.
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund will be streamed live on TNT Sports. To watch TNT Sports, you need to have a subscription to discovery+, and then you can watch all the action on the website, on the app, on your smart TV or through your console.
Head-to-head record
Both teams head into this tie on the back of wins domestically. City are six points off Arsenal at the top of the Premier League after 10 games, whilst Dortmund are seven behind Bayern after nine. This will be the seventh time these two have faced each other in the UEFA Champions League, with the German side only managing one win in the previous six, in 2012.
The most recent meeting in 2022 ended in a 0-0 draw, but City won all three before that 2-1. If their record against City does not give Dortmund hope, then they can look at form across competitions this season to gain some. Whilst Dortmund have only lost once in 14 games, City have lost three times.
However, City are unbeaten in their last 22 home matches played in the group/league phase of the UEFA Champions League, showing their imperious form at the Etihad.
Odds for Manchester City v Borussia Dortmund
Manchester City are favourites to win this match, coming in at 2/5 with bet365. A Dortmund win is at 6/1, with a draw at 4/1.
Odds correct at time of writing, subject to change.