CL: Man City seal top spot despite Mahrez miss against Dortmund
It wasn’t to be a fairytale return to the Signal Iduna Park for Erling Haaland as Manchester City could only muster a goalless draw with Borussia Dortmund.
In a low-key affair, Haaland was sacrificed at half-time as Pep Guardiola looked to shuffle his pack ahead of a busy schedule before the World Cup break.
The hosts were the more dangerous of the two sides, looking to exploit the space left in behind the City defence on the counter-attack.
Both managers experimented with team shape, as Edin Terzic opted for an unusual back four that included no obvious full-backs, with Thorgan Hazard filling in at left-back and Niklas Sule deputising on the right.
Riyad Mahrez missed a penalty just before the hour – prompting a great save from Gregor Kobel – as a clumsy leg from Emre Can felled him in the area, and the home side came close as Youssoufa Moukoko squandered a sitter from just five yards after an excellent run and drilled cross by Karim Adeyemi down the right.
Adeyemi would have two chances himself that he should have buried; both attempts in the first half parried or held by the understudy goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
Giovanni Reyna also had a tame effort held by Ortega as Adeyemi created yet another chance for the hosts, but they lacked that clinical potency in front of goal to really threaten the scoreline.
The second half was less interesting tactically than the first as Dortmund’s threat on the counter became more sporadic, but with their main goalscoring threat substituted, City looked toothless in front of goal as well, even after the Mahrez penalty miss.
This result is positive for both sides: Dortmund have qualified for the last 16, with City already through from their result last time out, and winning the group after this.
Job done, as far as both managers are concerned, and they will both be turning their attentions to big league games for them this weekend, as City go to Leicester on Saturday trying to overtake Arsenal in the Premier League, and Dortmund travelling to in-form Frankfurt.