Phil Foden scored twice and Erling Haaland netted against his former club as Manchester City eased past Borussia Dortmund 4-1 in the Champions League.
Phil Foden and Erling Haaland starred as Manchester City swept aside Borussia Dortmund 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium to remain unbeaten in their Champions League campaign. The win lifted Pep Guardiola’s men to 10 points from four matches, putting them firmly on course for the knockout stages.
City looked sharp from the start, with Foden testing Gregor Kobel twice before finding the opener in the 22nd minute. Tijjani Reijnders slipped a neat pass into his path, and the England midfielder curled a low shot into the bottom corner from outside the box.
The hosts doubled their lead just seven minutes later. Jeremy Doku broke down the right and cut the ball back for Haaland, who made no mistake from close range to score against his former club.
Manchester City dominated possession and could have added more before the break as Kobel denied Nico O’Reilly and Reijnders. Dortmund, meanwhile, struggled to handle City’s movement and intensity.
After the restart, Foden struck again to make it 3-0 in the 57th minute. Once more, Reijnders provided the assist as Foden shifted between two defenders and bent a brilliant effort into the far corner.
Dortmund pulled one back in the 72nd minute through Waldemar Anton, who converted a Julian Ryerson cross at the near post. However, any hopes of a comeback were short-lived. Substitute Rayan Cherki sealed the victory in stoppage time with a composed finish after a quick counterattack.
Foden was the standout performer, scoring his 20th Champions League goal in a dazzling display of control and composure. Haaland, ever the reliable finisher, extended his scoring streak in the competition to five consecutive games.
City’s midfield trio of Reijnders, Foden, and Nico Gonzalez kept Dortmund pinned back, while Doku’s pace on the flank caused constant problems. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, rarely tested, made crucial saves when called upon to deny Serhou Guirassy and Karim Adeyemi.
For Dortmund, it was a frustrating night. Despite flashes of creativity from Adeyemi and Maximilian Beier, they managed just 12 shots, with only four on target. Kobel’s eight saves prevented a heavier defeat.
City recorded 18 attempts, 11 of them on target, with an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.98. Dortmund’s 0.94 xG highlighted their limited attacking threat. Foden’s brace made it 11 goals from outside the box for City since the start of last season, more than any other Premier League player.
The result stretched City’s unbeaten home run in Champions League group stages to 23 matches over seven years, a testament to their European dominance at the Etihad.
Manchester City now turn their attention to a top-of-the-table Premier League clash with Liverpool on Sunday, November 9th. They will then host Bayer Leverkusen in their next Champions League outing on November 25th.
Borussia Dortmund, who dropped to 14th in the league standings, visit Hamburg SV in the Bundesliga on Saturday looking to keep their title hopes alive. Niko Kovac’s side will resume European duties later this month when they face Villarreal on November 25th.
