Man City 2-1 Borussia Dortmund: Late Foden strike gives City advantage

Phil Foden’s late strike gives Manchester City a slender advantage against Borussia Dortmund after Marco Reus had equalised for the Germans in their Champions League quarter-final first leg following Kevin De Bruyne’s early strike

  • Manchester City beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 after Phil Foden scored a 90th minute winner for the English side
  • Marco Reus had levelled for the German side in the 84th minute after Kevin De Bruyne’s first-half opener
  • Erling Haaland played in Reus for the Dortmund goal but was unable to get on the score sheet himself 
  • City had a penalty awarded while they were 1-0 up but the referee overturned his decision after a VAR review 
  • English youngster Jude Bellingham then put the ball in the net but the referee had blown for a foul on Ederson  

It turned out that Pep Guardiola was right. Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga position of fifth is indeed false. They scared the life out of Manchester City here and Guardiola’s team will have to find another gear if they are to make the last four.

City may have taken this result if offered it beforehand. A victory and two goals. Given the balance of play and major incident, it ultimately felt like a blessing. The English champions-elect got away with one here and Guardiola will know it.

Dortmund were impressive for long periods. Slick and progressive with the ball, looking to play on to the shoulders of City’s two central defenders and slip passes in to the spaces behind. It brought them one goal – created beautifully late on for Marco Reus by the golden child Erling Haaland – and could have led to others.

Phil Foden’s 90th minute strike gave Manchester City a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their quarter-final

Foden produced a calm finish to fire into the bottom corner after Ilkay Gundogan had knocked down Kevin De Bruyne’s pass 

The forward had created problems all evening but missed a number of chances before finally netting in the last minute

Marco Reus had equalised for City in the 84th minute, handing the Germans an away goal to take back to Dortmund next week

The Dortmund captain produced a cool finish over Ederson after being fed a through ball from the impressive Erling Haaland

City won the game and there is much to be said for that. This was far from their best effort but they saw it through. 

They actually played their most incisive football in the last 15 minutes – that was the only time chances really flowed for them – and it was no surprise that it was a late Phil Foden goal that clinched it.

Equally, they were skittish at times. Careless in possession and seemingly uncertain of how to play the tall, quick Haaland and indeed the even more impressive Englishman Jude Bellingham.

It required a little fortune and some rank bad refereeing to get City to the end of the game with a lead but that away goal of Dortmund’s already feels as though it may be important. The Germans will have been disappointed to concede right at the death but they still came out of the final six minutes of the game the better. From 0-1 to 1-2 was a vast and tangible improvement.

De Bruyne had put City ahead with a close-range finish as he met a pull-back from Riyad Mahrez inside the penalty area

Emre Can had given the ball away in the build-up and his mistake was punished when the City captain finished calmly

City were awarded a penalty shortly after their first goal but referee Ovidiu Hategan overturned his decision after a review 

MATCH FACTS 

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Cancelo, Rodri, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Foden, Bernardo (Jesus 59)

Subs not used: Steffen, Trafford, Garcia, Laporte, Aguero, Zinchenko, Sterling, Mendy, Fernandinho, Ake

Scorers: De Bruyne 19, Foden 90

Borussia Dortmund (4-3-3): Hitz, Guerreiro, Hummels, Akanji, Morey (Meunier 81), Bellingham, Dahoud (Delaney 81), Can, Knauff (Reyna 63), Reus, Haaland 

Subs not used: Burki, Passlack, Piszczek, Schulz, Drljaca, Brandt, Tigges, Hazard, Reinier

Scorer: Reus 84

Booked: Can, Bellingham 

German intent was there from the start. City lacked a little of their customary sharpness while Dortmund moved the ball swiftly and cleverly through the midfield with Bellingham an early influence.

Capped now by his country, there is a striking maturity about the 17-year-old and his angled shot in the ninth minute – beaten away by City goalkeeper Ederson – was the first of the game.

City, without a recognised centre forward in their line-up, were forced to defend more than they may have anticipated for 15 minutes or so. There was no disguising Dortmund’s ambition.

But the English team always carry a threat and when Emre Can coughed up the ball carelessly to Riyad Mahrez in the centre of the field in the 19th minute, City tore through to score.

Mahrez moved the ball quickly to De Bruyne and he moved it on in turn to Foden on the left. The low cross towards Mahrez at the far post was slightly over hit but when the 30-year-old collected the ball, he was able to look up and lay it in to the path of De Bruyne who scored from nine yards.

Can was culpable and it was not the first time in the game the former Liverpool player had given possession away. Nevertheless, City’s combinations to open up the Dortmund defence from that point on were perfect.

Worse almost followed for the German team and for Can ten minutes later. 

A free-kick from the right was flicked on and when the Dortmund player attempted to divert the ball away from Rodri with a flick of his heel the City midfielder went down holding his face.

Referee Ovidiu Hategan gave the penalty immediately but a look at the pitchside monitor was encouraged by the VAR officials and that revealed Can had made little – if any – contact with his opponent.

Rightly reprieved, Dortmund sought a way back in to the game and should have been allowed one soon after. Again Bellingham was central to it.

As Ederson attempted to control the ball outside his own penalty area, he offered just the sniff of an opportunity to his lurking opponent. Quick to nudge the ball away from the Brazilian, the teenager ran through to score in to an empty goal only to find the referee had blown for a foul. Replays showed there had been no semblance of one.

So now City found themselves facing opponents who were angry as well as talented. Haaland fizzed past Ruben Dias – leaving the defender on the ground like a rag – early in the second half only for Ederson to save. Then Dias played the ball straight to Reus who could not control when clean through. 

Reus forced a save from Ederson while the score was 1-0 but the City goalkeeper spread himself well to make the stop

Ederson was back in the thick of it when he was closed down by Jude Bellingham with the midfielder beating him to the ball

Bellingham put the ball in the net but controversially the referee decided he had fouled Ederson and booked the midfielder

City threatened, too. It was a good game. With a striker, Gabriel Jesus, on for the last half an hour, they certainly had a better shape.

Opportunities did belatedly come. Foden was denied by goalkeeper Marwin Hitz while De Bruyne shot low and across and just wide.

Dortmund struck late and it felt huge. Haaland’s round the corner pass to the breaking Reus was perfect and spoke of vision. The finish – lifted over Ederson – was lovely.

With six minutes left, City could have dropped their levels. They had given a lot in the previous phase of the game. 

But De Bruyne found Ilkay Gundogan with a raking pass to the far post and the former Dortmund player’s experience allowed him to control, pause, look up and find Foden on the inside.

It was a simple finish at the end of an evening that was anything but.

Ederson made a crucial save to deny Haaland in the second half after the striker had outpaced Ruben Dias to get a shot away

Dortmund struggled to create chances for their leading scorer but he was involved in assisting the goal for Reus

This is the first time that Pep Guardiola’s side have won the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final tie

RE-LIVE ALL THE ACTION 

Host commentator

FT: City take a 2-1 lead to Germany next week thanks to that late winner from Phil Foden. Marco Reus had levelled in the 84th minute to cancel out Kevin De Bruyne’s opener but Foden netted in the 90th minute to give City the advantage.

90 +1 – Three minutes of added time.

89 min – GOAL! Foden finally finds the net. De Bruyne’s long pass finds Gundgoan and he touches it back to Foden who opens his body up to finish in the far corner.

84 min – GOAL! Reus levels for Dortmund! It’s a great reverse pass from Bellingham to Haaland who hits it first time to feed Reus and the Dortmund captain lifts the ball over Ederson. Huge goal for the away side.

80 min – Two subs for Dortmund as Delaney replaces Dahoud and Meunier comes on for Morey.

79 min – Foden again gets through the Dortmund defence with a fantastic turn but can’t quite provide the finish as he drags a shot wide. 

76 min – Chance! De Bruyne involved again as he picks out Foden in the middle but his effort is saved by Hitz. The game is opening up for City now.

75 min – De Bruyne shows his power to hold off a challenge from Reus and unleashes a shot but just drags it past the post 

72 min – Foden again dances his way past Dortmund’s defenders on the left but can’t quite pick out Jesus in the middle.

70 min – Into the final 20 minutes now. City don’t look too troubed but they’d like a second goal to take to Germany next week.

65 min – Lovely turn from Foden on the left but his cross just evades Jesus in the middle.

64 min – Miss! Huge chance for Foden goes begging. Brilliant from De Bruyne who picks out Foden in the middle but his effort is right at Hitz who saves with his feet.

62 min – First change for Dortmund as Reyna replaces Knauff.

62 min – Reus takes the free-kick but it goes into the wall. The ball comes back out but his second effort goes wide.

60 min – Free-kick on the edge of the box for Dortmund as Stones catches Haaland. Chance for Dortmund here.

58 min – First change of the evening for the hosts as Gabriel Jesus replaces Bernardo Silva.

55 min – Dahoud picks out Morey on the right hand side of the box but he can’t quite get enough contact as he goes for the shot. Not a bad start to the second half from the away side.

51 min – Lovely counter-attacking move from City. It starts with De Bruyne in his own half and he plays a brilliant pass to Foden. He can’t quite work the ball out to Walker but he keeps the move alive and eventually manages to work a shot but it goes wide.

47 min – Save! First real chance for Haaland as he shows immense pace to get away from Dias but Ederson comes out quickly to make the stop. He did well to hold off the City defender there but couldn’t lift the ball over the goalkeeper.

City get the second half underway as they look to add to their 1-0 lead.

The goal that currently seperates the two sides.


Not a bad record, this.

Manchester City in front at half time but there’s been plenty of controversy. City were given a penalty after a foul from Emre Can but the referee was instructed to go and review the decision on the monitor and he overturned the call.

Bellingham then had the ball in the net but the referee had already blown for a foul on Ederson, however, replays appeared to show the Dortmund man won the ball cleanly.

45 min – Lovely turn from Silva in the box and he finds Mahrez but his effort is tame and Hitz gathers easily. One minute of stoppage time added on.

40 min – Jadon Sancho is also not impressed with the decision to give a foul against Bellingham there. The former City man is watching his side from home with injury keeping him out.

39 min – It’s clear what the Germans think of that decision…

36 min – Guerreiro chips the ball over the top, Ederson comes rushing out but takes a heavy touch. Bellingham wins it and puts the ball in the empty net but the referee gives a free-kick against the Dortmund man. That looked a harsh call. Bellingham is also booked for the challenge. City may have got away with one there. VAR can’t check as the whistle had already gone.

36 min – De Bruyne’s ball in is defelcted off Bellingham but it goes through to Hitz and the goalkeeper is able to hold on.

35 min – Gundogan brought down by Knauff on the left and City have a chance to put the ball in the box.

31 min – Well the referee dragged that out a bit but he’s overturned the decision and given handball against Rodri. No penalty.

The referee is going over to the monitor to check. It looked a harsh decision. He’s having a good look at it.

30 min – Penalty for Manchester City as Can catches Rodri, the decision has been given for a high boot. Can gets a yellow card but VAR will check this.

23 min – Save! Big chance for Dortmund as Rodri gives the ball away on the edge of his own box. It falls to Reus but Ederson comes rushing out to get in the way and then wins a free-kick as he’s caught on the follow through by the Dormtund man. Haaland had a chance just before that but couldn’t get the ball out of his feet.

22 min – It was Emre Can who gave the ball away in midfield in the build up to that goal. All of Dortmund’s hard work undone.

19 min – GOAL! Kevin De Bruyne puts City ahead. Foden fiizzes a pass across goal towards Mahrez and he manages to keep it in play before pulling it back to De Bruyne to sweep home. First shot on target and the first goal!

16 min – It’s been a good start from Dortmund. City are enjoying more of the ball but the Germans look dangerous when they come forward and they’ve not allowed the home side a shot on target yet.

11 min – Dias heads down a corner for Foden to shoot but his effort goes over the bar. The referee had blown for a foul from Dias so it wouldn’t have counted if Foden had found the net.

7 min – Save! Bellingham finds room for a shot in the box and forces Ederson into an early save as he beats the ball away. First shot of the evening goes to the visitors.

6 min – Nice bit of play beteween Mahrez and De Bruyne. The Belgian gets a return pass down the right from the Algerian and he tries to find Silva in the middle but his ball is cut out by Dahoud.

4 min – Bit of an erratic start to the game with both teams giving the ball away easily.

It looks like Bernardo Silva will be in the false nine role for City.

Side note – Cancelo and Haaland are on one yellow card for the knockouts, meaning if they pick up a booking tonight they will be suspended for the second leg.

Dortmund get us kicked off at the Etihad

We’re five minutes away from kick-off at the Etihad so get yourselves ready, this is a game you don’t want to miss!

It’s been three quarter-final exits in a row for Pep Guardiola’s side. They made the semi-finals in 2016, can they do it again?

It’s been quite a journey for Haaland in the Champions League already – 20 goals in 14 appearances for both RB Salzburg and Dortmund.

He was also on the scoresheet in Salzburg’s 4-3 defeat at Anfield last season. He’ll be looking for another goal in the North West tonight.

Phil Foden starts for Manchester City tonight, could we see him in a false nine role?


Erling Haaland is in the building

It’s been a frustrating campaign in the Bundesliga for Dormtund with the club fifth in the table, seven points off fourth. Saturday’s defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt was a big blow for their Champions League hopes. 

Meanwhile, City got an impressive 2-0 victory at Leicester. That 1-0 defeat by Manchester United is their only loss since November. 

Betfair – Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund

Manchester City are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Erling Haaland. He has a chance to impress on the big stage against the club his father Alfe used to play for. Pep Guardiola spoke about the possibility of spending big in the transfer market as the club look for Sergio Augero’s replacement.

Some of the Dortmund players out on the pitch with England international Jude Bellingham among them. A big night for the 17-year-old, who starts in the centre of midfield.

Erling Haaland in the Dortmund starting XI, as expected. But Pep Guardiola opts to go without a recognised centre forward. 

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Manchester City v Borussia Dortmund for this Champions League quarter-final first leg tie. Team news will be with us shortly…

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