SEDARA OLUWADARA
Manchester City have guaranteed a first place finish in Group G of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League after a 0-0 draw with Borussia Dortmund in Germany.
A Riyad Mahrez penalty could have made it four wins from five in the competition so far this season, but the Algerian was denied from the spot by goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
Pep Guardiola’s side are three points ahead of Dortmund with one match remaining, but the head-to-head record after our September victory over the German club ensures we cannot be overtaken.
The point also means Dortmund will progress in second place.
Dortmund had the first chance of the night at a packed out Westfalenstadion, but John Stones denied Julian Brandt just as the German attacker was winding up a shot.
It was Brandt who had the first blow on goal however, firing a 25-yard free-kick over Stefan Ortega Moreno’s goal.
Ortega Moreno was called upon for the first time in the 16th minute when Karim Adeyemi cut in from the right and hit a low left-footed shot that the goalkeeper swatted away.
With three central defenders and Joao Cancelo and Riyad Mahrez moving into wide spaces, we rotated between a number of formations.
That gave Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez the opportunity to find pockets of space behind Erling Haaland, who was back at Dortmund for the first time since leaving the club for City.
It was through the middle that our first chance of the night was created, but Haaland was shut out by a last-ditch tackle from talismanic Dortmund captain Mats Hummels.
The German side focused their attacks through Adeyemi down the right and it was the 20-year-old who created the best chance of the first half.
He burst beyond City’s high line and fired a ball across that Youssoufa Moukoko diverted wide from inside 10 yards.
City had a penalty just before the hour mark when Mahrez was felled by an erratic Emre Can challenge.
The Algerian picked himself up to take the spot kick but was disappointed to see Swiss international Gregor Kobel guess correctly and get a strong wrist to the shot.
That proved to be the final major chance for either side, but we did enjoy almost exclusive use of the ball for the final 30 minutes as Dortmund sat back and settled for the point that took them through with us.
