Prediction: Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund

2nd October 2012

Manchester City will be looking to build on the promising showing in the 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid when they take on Borussia Dortmund, a team that already have three points to their tally having beaten Ajax at home in the opening round. It goes without saying that the outcome of this tie can give one of the sides an upper hand in the race for the second place in the standings.

Nobody knows why Manchester City officials waited until the final day of the transfer window to do most of their summer shopping, but such a decision could end up costing them dearly this season. The arrival of four new players seems to have destabilized the squad after the bright start to the season, as the Citizens suffered a big dip in form over the last few weeks. The four-match winless run included the 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu, which can be seen as unfortunate after Roberto Mancini’s side conceded two late goals, but can also be viewed as pretty deserved given that Real had had 30 shots on goal as opposed to City’s 8. Following the 4-2 Capitol One Cup defeat to Aston Villa, the weekend’s clash with Fulham was a must win game for the Citizens, and everybody at the club was happy that the team managed to come from a goal behind to record a morale-boosting victory at Craven Cottage. The Etihad Stadium outfit now face another very important clash and Roberto Mancini will again have to make do without Jack Rodwell, Micah Richards and Douglas Maicon.

Borussia Dortmund have been dominating the domestic stage for a couple of years now, with back to back Bundesliga titles a great achievement, but the Millionaires have yet to prove their worth in Europe’s elite competition. Four points from six games didn’t prove enough for Jurgen Klopp’s side to reach Champions League group stages last term, while the Germans have been handed an even tougher group this season. The opening win over Ajax Amsterdam was clearly a step in the right direction, but it is in games against Manchester City and Real Madrid that Borussia players need to show what they are made of. BVB did really well to end the poor run of results with a 5-0 victory over Borussia M’gladbach, so they will fancy their chances at Etihad Stadium. Midfielder Sven Bender has returned into action after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but he is unlikely to start, while Robert Lewandowski returns to the starting line-up after he was rested at the weekend.

Conclusion

Having taken a huge weight off their shoulders with a 2-1 win over Fulham, Manchester City will feel optimistic ahead of the crunch tie against Borussia Dortmund, with the hosts likely to go all guns blazing at their opponents. Given that BVB will be looking to hit the Citizens on the break through the likes of Blaszczykowski, Goetze and Reus, we could see goals galore at Etihad.

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals

Best Odds: 2/3

Bookmaker: Ladbrokes