Borussia Dortmund v Manchester City predictions: Haaland to enjoy Germany return

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Borussia Dortmund v Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 2, 8pm Tuesday

Best bets

Manchester City to win & both teams to score
1pt 15-8 Betfair

Jude Bellingham to score at any time
0.5pt 8-1 Hills

Team news

Borussia Dortmund
Salih Ozcan is suspended and Thomas Meunier looks set to join Sebastien Haller, Mahmoud Dahoud and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens on the sidelines. Marco Reus and Donyell Malen are doubts.

Manchester City
The Premier League visitors remain without Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips but John Stones is back in contention. Sergio Gomez is suspended.

Preview

All eyes will be on Manchester City’s goalscoring sensation Erling Haaland when he returns to former club Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday evening and the Norwegian star will be hoping the script pans out much like it did in last month's reverse fixture.

City found themselves a goal down with just ten minutes remaining at the Etihad Stadium, but it was Haaland who completed an memorable late comeback with an acrobatic winner to break the hearts of his old employers.

The 22-year-old has settled in effortlessly at the Premier League champions and a brace in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Brighton took his tally for the season to a staggering 22 goals in just 14 appearances.

So it should be no surprise that Haaland is odds-on to make his mark at his old hunting ground, Signal Iduna Park, on matchday five and Dortmund face a daunting task trying to contain him.

Pep Guardiola’s visitors have won 11 of their 15 games in all competitions this season and top Group G having taken ten points from their four European encounters.

The exception to their European dominance was a goalless draw at Copenhagen last time out when Sergio Gomez saw red inside half an hour. Even then they had enough chances to win, as Riyad Mahrez missed a penalty and they also had a goal ruled out by VAR.

But Guardiola knows victory in Germany will see them advance to the knockout stages as group winners with a game to spare, and his side should be up to the task.

Dortmund were 5-0 winners at home to Stuttgart on Saturday but had triumphed only once in five Bundesliga outings prior to that and have conceded at least twice in five of their last ten matches.

Edin Terzic’s side were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Sevilla in their previous Champions League contest and are evidently hampered by defensive flaws, something a confident City can exploit.

However, Dortmund showed at the Etihad that whatever quality they lack in defence they make up for in forward areas and, having scored in their last 13 Champions League home games, look good value for a consolation.

And if Dortmund are to find a way past City custodian Ederson then England international Jude Bellingham is overpriced to give the home fans some jubilation.

Bellingham made the breakthrough for the Bundesliga side at the Etihad last month and the teenager has also scored in Dortmund’s other three games in Group G.

The imposing midfielder made it eight goals in 17 starts this season with double against Stuttgart at the weekend and quotes of 8-1 about him notching underestimate the threat he poses.

And for anyone who believes that lightning can strike more than once, City and Dortmund have met three times in the last three seasons with the Premier League side prevailing 2-1 on each occasion with Bellingham opening the scoring in two of those contests.

Key stat

Both teams have scored in 12 of Borussia Dortmund's last 16 Champions League matches.

Inside info

Manchester City

Penalty taker Erling Haaland
Assist ace Kevin De Bruyne
Set-piece aerial threat Ruben Dias
Card magnet Rodri

Borussia Dortmund

Penalty taker Marco Reus/Jude Bellingham
Assist ace Julian Brandt
Set-piece aerial threat Niklas Sule
Card magnet Emre Can

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