Manchester City 2-1 Borussia Dortmund: Player ratings and performance
Manchester City faced Borrusia Dortmund in the second game of the 2022 champions league campaign. The English club is the team to beat this season with their insane squad comprising Halland, De bryune, Bernado Silva, etc. The blues thrashed Seville 0-4 in their first UCL match, starting their UCL campaign in tremendous form.
Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, has found it difficult to score crucial goals sometimes this season after being stripped off of their main man Erling Halland by non-other than Manchester City during the summer transfer window. The german club won their first UCL match this season comfortably against Copenhagen. However, the match against City was going to be a real task.
Manchester City Vs Borussia Dortmund
The first half of the game saw a very compact Dortmund side giving no space for the city to work with. They let the city have the majority of the possession, and they dropped deep and defended against everything the city threw at them with a lot of vigor. Manchester City was rather lethargic as a team which is very contrasting to their actual play.
They were slow in every department and didn’t produce that excellence that has become a norm for the blue side of Manchester nowadays. Dortmund could’ve gotten away with a later surprising win when Bellingham rolled in the ball for Reus, whose deflected shot was scored by Jude for the opener and made it 0-1 around the hour mark. However, two late goals from John Stone and Halland saw the city complete a comeback and snatch the win from Dortmund.
Player ratings and performance – Manchester City
⚽ GK: Ederson – 5/10 – didn’t have much to do for most of the game therefore remained unchallenged. The goal conceded wasn’t his mistake.
⚽ RB: John Stones – 7/10 – it was clear that right-back isn’t his position, but he gave his all. He changed the game with the stunning strike to make it 1-1.
⚽ CB: Manuel Akanji – 6/10 – he showed class and had an overall stable performance. A good purchase for City’s defense.
⚽ CB: Nathan Ake – 6/10 – his ability to get back the loose balls and maintain the possession was very prominent. The german defense couldn’t test him much.
⚽ LB: Joao Cancelo – 7/10 – the stability he provides at the back, coupled with his outrageous attacking skill, makes him one of the best fullbacks in the world. The cross for the winner was timed to perfection.
⚽ DM: Rodri – 6/10 – maintained the rhythm of the play throughout the match and did his duties as DM comfortably.
⚽ CM: Kevin De Bruyne – 6/10 – he was not at his best as the Belgian found it difficult to thread passes and build up attacks.
⚽ CM: Ilkay Gundogan – 5/10 – proved rather non-existent in the midfield as the Dortmund midfielders easily shut him down.
⚽ RF: Riyad Mahrez – 4/10 – offered no threat to the Dortmund defense and was rather linear with his approach. he had a dull outing overall.
⚽ CF: Erling Haaland – 7/10 – was pretty much ineffective throughout the match but came in clutch for the winner, once again showing his world-class qualities as a number 9.
⚽ LF: Jack Grealish – 3/10 – probably the worst City player on the field as he was as bland as possible. They couldn’t take on players and slowed down the overall game of the team.
⚽ SUB: Phil Foden (58′ for Grealish) – 6/10 – the intensity changed as soon as he was introduced. They did what Grealish didn’t, kept the position on their toes constantly.
⚽ SUB: Julian Alvarez (58′ for Mahrez) – 6/10 – just like Foden, he also raised the intensity of the match and was causing havoc on the wing, which Mahrez couldn’t.
⚽ SUB: Bernardo Silva (58′ for Gundogan) – 6/10 – he was everywhere and made it very difficult for Dortmund to contain him. Showing his usual abilities helped the team get to be more effective.
Player ratings and performance – Borussia Dortmund
⚽ GK: Alexander Meyer – 5 – isolated throughout the match. He conceded when the city challenged him.
⚽ RB: Thomas Meunier – 7 –was everywhere. He played tirelessly and gave his best.
⚽ CB: Niklas Sule – 7 – his team up with Hummels kept City’s attack at bay.
⚽ CB: Mats Hummels – 8 – past his prime but still very solid.
⚽ LB: Raphael Guerreiro – 6 – not at his best, did okay-ish.
⚽ CM: Salih Ozcan – 8 – tidy in possession. Very impressive player.
⚽ CM: Emre Can – 7 – great at breaking attacks, and his direct offensive approach was impressive.
⚽ CM: Jude Bellingham – 8 – best Dortmund player on the pitch. His technical abilities and vision are at par with the world’s best.
⚽ RW: Marco Reus – 7 – the veteran is always delivering and important to the team.
⚽ ST: Anthony Modeste – 6 – was a good focal point for the attack.
⚽ LW: Giovanni Reyna – 6 was a constant threat with his off-the-ball movements
⚽ SUB: Donyell Malen – 6 – defended with character and vigor.
⚽ SUB: Nico Schlotterbeck – 5 – his arrival and Dortmund going to a back three disrupted their rhythm.
