Phil Foden struck twice while Erling Haaland found the net against his old side as Manchester City eased past Borussia Dortmund to strengthen their position in the Champions League league phase.
Pep Guardiola’s side remain unbeaten after four matches and moved up to fourth in the standings, putting themselves in a strong position to reach the round of 16. Dortmund began with confidence but faded quickly once the home side found their rhythm, scoring twice in seven minutes to take control.
Foden was central to City’s dominance, testing Gregor Kobel with a fierce shot from a distance before curling a free kick into the goalkeeper’s hands. His persistence was rewarded in the 22nd minute when he guided a precise low finish into the corner from outside the box — his first goal in the competition in a year.
The hosts then surged forward relentlessly. Kobel denied Nico O’Reilly from close range, but Haaland struck moments later, smashing home from Jeremy Doku’s cutback for his 27th goal of the season for club and country. Tijjani Reijnders also drew a sharp save as City continued to press.
Foden made it 3-0 midway through the second half with another fine curling effort before Dortmund briefly hit back through Waldemar Anton, who converted from Julian Ryerson’s cross. However, Rayan Cherki restored the three-goal cushion in stoppage time with a confident solo finish.
City’s form building momentum across competitions
After a shaky start to the season, losing two of their opening three matches, City have rediscovered their rhythm with just one defeat in their past 13 outings. The result against Dortmund lifted their points total to 10 and extended an unbeaten home run in this competition’s league or group stages to 23 matches.
The Etihad Stadium crowd was treated to an impressive light show before kick-off — and the team performance matched the spectacle. Foden’s double took his tally to four goals this campaign, while Haaland’s strike continued his extraordinary scoring run.
The Norwegian has now scored in five consecutive Champions League fixtures, doing so with three different clubs: RB Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund, and Manchester City. His consistency continues to drive City’s pursuit of trophies on multiple fronts.
Cherki’s contribution off the bench added another positive for Guardiola. The French youngster’s late goal came after a strong showing against Bournemouth at the weekend, when he supplied two assists for Haaland.
Dortmund’s attacking threat fades amid defensive concerns
Nico Kovac’s side entered the game third in the Bundesliga and in strong European form, having netted four goals in each of their previous three Champions League outings. But those attacking displays counted for little once City seized control.
Dortmund struggled to cope with the intensity and movement of their hosts and were fortunate not to suffer a heavier defeat, with Kobel producing eight saves to limit the damage. The German club has now beaten City only once in seven meetings.
Substitutes Jobe Bellingham and Pascal Gross added some late spark, helping to push the visitors forward in the closing stages. Yet leading striker Serhou Guirassy found little joy, managing just one real chance that Gianluigi Donnarumma comfortably stopped.
Anton’s close-range finish denied City a clean sheet, but defensive lapses resurfaced almost immediately as Cherki sealed a deserved victory for the English champions. Dortmund’s issues at the back remain a major concern as they drop down the table.
