Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Man City – Match Report

Borussia Dortmund drew
0-0 with already-qualified Manchester City to book their place in the Champions
League round of 16 one game less. The result secured City top spot in Group G,
while Dortmund secured second place ahead of third-placed Sevilla, whose
Champions League hopes were dashed in the new year.

The Germans had their
moments against him as City failed to find a goal in the first half and striker
Erling Haaland, who has scored 86 goals in 89 games for Dortmund until his
summer departure, has was taken off at halftime.

The visitors squandered
their best chance in the 58th minute when Riyad Mahrez’s penalty was saved by
Dortmund’s Gregor Kobe, and the Algerian has now missed back-to-back European
games after a comeback against Copenhagen two weeks ago.

Pep Guardiola’s side had
the fewest chances in the first half as the home side had more goal attempts
but the Bundesliga side usually squandered the chances given to them.

The second half looked
to have started better for City as they were awarded a penalty but Riyad Mahrez
saw the penalty saved much to the disappointment of the traveling fans and that
feeling continued as neither man could find a big breakthrough.

The result continues
City’s unbeaten European campaign this season, which saw them claim three wins
and draw before the clash at Signal Iduna Park.

After a cautious opening
minute, the hosts had their first real chance of the game from a free-kick
after Karim Adeyemi was knocked down by Joao Cancelo, earning him a yellow
card.

The free-kick was headed
in by Julian Brandt, who never worried about future City keeper Stefan Ortega,
who was making his City debut that night.

Before City picked up
their second yellow card of the night, this time for Julián Álvarez, few
chances opened up when the Argentina striker fouled Thorgan Hazard.

Dortmund continued to
have the best chances with several tackles from Ortega like Adeyemi and
Youssoufa Moukoko but to no avail.City finally had a
chance in the extra minute of stoppage time when Phil Foden’s free kick was
blocked by Nathan Ake, but the Dutch defender couldn’t finish and the teams
entered the break scoreless.

Former Dortmund striker
Erling Haaland was denied a goal on his return to the Westfalenstadion, sent
off by City manager Guardiola before the next 45 minutes.

Former Dortmund man
Manuel Akanji came on in the second half for former team-mate Joao Cancelo, who
was presumably substituted as a precaution for the final yellow card.

After initial pressure
from Dortmund, City had a chance when Emre Can brought down Riyad Mahrez
illegally, awarding the visitors a penalty.

Gregor Kobe then saved
Mahrez’s penalty, making him the second Algerian winger for City in the
Champions League this season, following a poor effort in Copenhagen two weeks
ago.

As Dortmund tried to
fight back, Ilkay Gundogan was booked against his former team for a foul on
Moukoko.

Akanji then received a
yellow card on his old pitch after his hand was used to block Adeyemi’s shot
outside the City area, but Hazard’s free-kick was deflected straight into the
wall.

Guardiola had seen quite
clearly when he decided to make his third substitution of the night, bringing
in Jack Grealish for compatriot Phil Foden.

This change was followed
by another when City Academy graduate Cole Palmer stepped in for a few minutes
in place of a crestfallen Mahrez.

The game was scoreless
but the result helped both Dortmund and City, the former qualifying for the
last 16, the latter securing a place at the top of Group G.

Borussia
Dortmund:

 Kobel, Sule, Hummels,
Schlotterbeck,
Bellingham, Can, Hazard,
Adeyemi, Brandt, Reyna, Moukoko

Substitutes: Meyer,
Unbehaun, Wolf, Modeste, Malen, Passlack, Rothe, Couilibaly, Papadopoulos

Manchester
City:

Ortega Moreno,
Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Ake,
Gundogan, Rodri, Foden,
Mahrez, Haaland, Alvarez

Substitutes: Ederson,
Carson, Lewis, Akanji, Laporte, Wilson-Esbrand, De Bruyne, Silva, Palmer,
Grealish

Bookings:

73. Malen for Adeyemi
82. M. Wolf for T. Hazard
82. Modeste for Moukoko
87. Papadopoulos for Reyna

Manchester City

Referee: Massa, Davide

Venue: Signal-Iduna-Park (Dortmund)

 Group G Table after round 5.