Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will face Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund in an exciting fixture in the ongoing UEFA Champions League. The two sides have 7 points from 3 games thus far and will be eager to grab a win to continue their fine form in the tournament. An important aspect of the game would be star forward Erling Haaland playing against his former side.
With 2 wins and a draw, Man City is currently placed 9th in the points table, while their opponents, with 2 wins and 1 draw, are placed 8th, owing to having a better goal difference. While both the teams are undefeated in the tournament thus far, the hosts certainly have the edge in this game owing to their splendid home record. Dortmund, meanwhile, have been clinical, but the head-to-head record in this fixture tilts the scale of the fixture for the Cityzens.
Preview
Manchester City head into the game on the back of piping red-hot form. The team has been exceptional in Europe and is currently unbeaten in their last 22 UEFA Champions League group stage games at home. The side currently boasts of a record of 19 wins and 3 draws at Etihad.
Bundesliga side Dortmund too has been highly explosive this season in UCL. They have scored 4 goals in their last 3 UCL games and are on line to become the first team ever to score 4+ goals in 4 consecutive games in the history of this competition.
Pep’s boys began their UCL campaign with a 2-0 win over Napoli before they were stopped 2-2 by Monaco. They defeated Villarreal 2-0 in their last game and have scored 6 goals in the campaign thus far. Borussia Dortmund played out a thrilling 4-4 draw against Juventus in their opening game before clinching a 4-1 win against Athletic Club and then dispatching Copenhagen 4-2. Dortmund has already notched up 12 goals in 3 games but has conceded 7 already.
He doesn't stop 🤯📈
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 4, 2025
🩵 @ErlingHaaland pic.twitter.com/TpLgHRKN0G
Head-to-Head
These two sides have previously met 6 times in the UEFA Champions League. The Sky Blues have won 3 games, while Dortmund has won only once. The remaining two games have ended as draws.
Interestingly, City has been unbeaten in the five of their last 6 encounters against the Bundesliga side. The Premier League side has gone on to concede first in four of these six games but has made remarkable comebacks, like in 2021 and 2022.
Team News
Manchester City
Manchester City will be really pleased given that both Erling Haaland and Rodri have shaken off their injury concerns. The only absentee for Pep Guardiola’s boys will be midfielder Mateo Kovacic, who is nursing an ankle injury. Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva will have to take the game very carefully, as he will face a ban if he picks up another yellow card.
Ace striker Erling Haaland is in red-hot form, and his hat trick against Bournemouth over the weekend is a testament to the same. The Norwegian has already notched up 86 goals for the club in just 89 appearances thus far. Interestingly, Haaland scored the winning goal for City against Dortmund in the 2022 tie.
Predicted XI: Donnarumma; Nunes, Stones, Dias, Ait-Nouri; Gonzalez; Savinho, Reijnders, Foden, Doku; Haaland
Likewise, Erl! 🖤💛🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/h2qnyVrBgP
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) November 4, 2025
Team News
Borussia Dortmund
There are quite a few injury concerns for the visitors. Captain Julian Brandt will miss the encounter with a muscle injury, while veteran defender Niklas Sule is yet to recover completely from his toe injury.
Nico Schlotterbeck will be a rock at the defense, while Julien Duranville has begun training with the U23 side. All eyes will also be on Jobe Bellingham who went on to notch up two assists in their previous game against FC Copenhagen.
Predicted XI: Kobel; Schlotterbeck, Anton, Bensebaini; Couto, Nmecha, Bellingham, Svensson; Adeyemi, Beier; Guirassy
Where The Match Will Be Decided
A lot will depend on the tactical and the transitional game style of both the teams. For Manchester City, Pep Guardiola likes deploying a 2-3-5 when his team controls the possession. The presence of extra players on the wings allows them to make unmarked runs and create spaces, especially with the likes of pacy players like Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku.
Haaland, who has been more central and helps in the build-up from this season, will also be instrumental for his delayed and post runs to counter Borussia’s strong center backs. In the heart of the midfield, Rodri’s natural gameplay as a shield and anchor with pinpoint passing helps in the transition. His effectiveness will be crucial if the visitors are to be able to win the second balls and create spaces in the attack.
City’s expertise in set pieces and late comebacks can also play a vital role in the game. The Manchester Blues have a tendency of scoring late against the Yellow Wall, and like they did in 2012 and 2022, showcasing their never-give-up attitude. Should the game remain a draw till the 70th minute, then City’s excellent bench strength will come in handy to push for the winning goal.
Match Prediction
Betting Odds: Manchester City (1.53), Draw (5), Borussia Dortmund (6.4) via BetMGM UK
As per the betting odds go, Manchester City are the clear favourites for this tie. The odds favouring a win for Dortmund and a draw are quite alike.
We predict Manchester City 3–1 Borussia Dortmund. This is mainly owing to City’s exceptional unbeaten record in UCL group stage matches at home. While Dortmund continues to be a goal-scoring threat after having scored 4 goals each in their last 3 games, they are highly unlikely to control the tempo and their territory on the pitch over long periods against a relentless Manchester City side.
