Manchester City travel to Germany for the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal against Borussia Dortmund. What is their team news looking like ahead of the game?
City will want to ensure that they don’t repeat the mistakes from Saturday, as they conceded a late winner to Leeds United. Against the German side, they will have to be extra careful, given the threat that BVB carries on the counter.
There are a couple of players who are a doubt for the game. One of them is Argentine forward Serguio Aguero who is suffering from many niggles as per Pep Guardiola. It is unlikely that the forward will be starting on Wednesday.
The other player who is a major doubt is French defender Aymeric Laporte. The centre-back had a problem with his hip and didn’t play any part in Leeds game. It is likely he won’t feature in this game too.
City dealt with the threat of the hosts with aplomb in the first leg, apart from the single goal that they conceded. That away goal has the ability to still turn the tie on its head.
When they head to Germany, Guardiola’s men will want to ensure they get on the scoresheet.
They have the lead at the moment and scoring another goal will make things really difficult for their opponents.
Dortmund have players such as Erling Haaland (a City transfer target), Gio Reyna, Jadon Sancho and Marco Reus, who can dominate the game.
This is what City’s defence will have to worry about. If they are a bit lax like they were at the weekend, they could end up paying dearly.
City are in a great position and will want to safeguard that. This should not curb their attacking instincts as they are always capable of scoring and taking the tie away. They can’t get overcautious and just rest on their laurels from the first leg, and play only to kill the time off. They must stay aggressive.
Manchester City faltered at the quarterfinal stage last season and will not want to repeat that same mistake.
With a lead heading into the second leg, they are well-placed to eliminate Dortmund.
Guardiola will want his team to play with the same confidence they showed in the first leg. Basically, they cannot play not to lose, they have to play to win. If they do, they will return from Germany having sealed their spot in the semi-finals.