Manchester City moved into fourth place in the Champions League group after a 4‑1 victory over Borussia Dortmund, putting them just two points behind the top trio of Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter Milan.
The match started well for Dortmund, who pressed high and kept City on the back foot in the first half. But City’s game plan clicked when Phil Foden scored a precise low finish in the 22nd minute, giving the visitors a 1‑0 lead. Seven minutes later, Erling Haaland doubled the advantage with a powerful shot from the edge of the box after receiving a cross from Doku. From then on, City controlled the game and kept possession.
Dortmund struggled to keep up with City’s quick passes and high tempo. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel was required to make several saves before the break. Foden added a second goal in the 57th minute, running into the same corner to make it 3‑0. Dortmund pulled one back with a short‑range volley from Waldemar Anton in the final 20 minutes, but it was too little, too late.
The German side pressed for the remainder of the match, with Karim Adeyemi’s shots missing twice. Rayan Cherki, who came on as a substitute, sealed the result with a late goal in stoppage time.
City’s win extends an unbeaten streak at home in European competition to six matches. The result lifts them into a strong position for the next group‑stage matches against Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen. Dortmund will look to bounce back after their first Champions League defeat before hosting Villarreal later this month.
“I know City are the better team, but we started well and we weren’t active enough,” said Dortmund coach Niko Kovac. “We let them in four goals, which hurts, but we gained some experience.”
City manager Pep Guardiola praised his side. “The first 15 minutes surprised us – we faced good pressure, but we responded. It’s a good day for us, and we’re close to the top.”
Other group‑stage games on Wednesday saw Inter Milan win 2‑1 over FC Kairat, Békasi team Qarabag draw 2‑2 with Chelsea, Pafos beat Villarreal 1‑0, Galatasaray defeated Ajax 3‑0, Bayer Leverkusen edged Benfica 1‑0, Atalanta won 1‑0 over Marseille, and Newcastle topped Athletic Club 2‑0.
Source: ianslive
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