Haaland Faces Old Club as Man City and Dortmund Clash in Champions League
Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund are set for an exciting Champions League showdown, and all eyes are on one man — Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker is preparing to face his former club, where his journey to global stardom truly began. And fittingly, he will be wearing the captain’s armband tonight for City.
For this game, Pep Guardiola has made a few tweaks to his side. John Stones, Tijjani Reijnders, and Savinho are stepping in, while Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Rayan Cherki are sitting out. City’s starting lineup features Donnarumma in goal, with Stones and Gvardiol anchoring the defense. Nunes, O’Reilly, Gonzalez, and Reijnders fill out the midfield, while Savinho, Foden, Doku, and Haaland lead the attack.
On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund’s lineup brings a mix of experience and youth. Marcel Sabitzer, the former Manchester United midfielder, starts, while Pascal Gross, Fabio Silva, and Jobe Bellingham — the younger brother of Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham — are named on the bench.
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Haaland, of course, is the story of the night. He’s in phenomenal form — having just scored twice in City’s win over Bournemouth, taking his tally to a staggering 141 goals in just 159 games for the club. That’s an extraordinary record, even by his own lofty standards. The 25-year-old forward admitted he “knew” he would perform at Manchester City even before signing. He said he studied the team’s playing style, understood where he could fit, and felt confident that under Pep Guardiola, his game would flourish.
“I said it before — there’s a reason I came to City,” Haaland shared in an interview with TNT Sports. “I was studying them before I arrived. I knew I was going to come here and perform. With Pep, it’s gone really well so far, and hopefully, it gets even better.”
Haaland’s confidence is easy to understand. He already leads the Premier League scoring charts with 13 goals and has netted four of City’s six goals in this season’s Champions League. Yet, he remains humble. “It’s not about the goals,” he said. “It’s about helping the team win. That’s my job.”
For Haaland, tonight’s match also stirs memories. He spoke fondly of his time at Dortmund, recalling the DFB-Pokal victory and the electric atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park. “That club helped me grow — not just as a player, but as a person,” he said. “They trusted me when I was young, and that made all the difference.”
Now, as Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund face off — both tied on seven points in their Champions League group — Haaland finds himself at the center of the story once again. This time, though, he’s wearing sky blue, ready to strike against the team where it all began.
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