Manchester City 2-1 Borussia Dortmund: A tactical analysis of the game

Second Half

In the second half, Borussia Dortmund switched to a 4-2-3-1 shape when building up, with Dahoud and Can in the double pivot and Jude Bellingham playing as the more advanced midfielder in a number eight/eight and a half role. This was to help the team when building up, as well as giving them more security against the Man City counter attack.

Emre Can’s lack of movement when the centre-backs had the ball made it very difficult for Dortmund to build up as City were finding it easy to block the passing lanes. The German international was off his game and misplaced several fairly straight forward passes. What was also missing was his trademark direct runs. Those runs could have been fairly helpful in putting City under pressure, and freeing up Dahoud or Bellingham to join the attack in a more advanced role.

Emre Can was too slow to shuffle over and create an option for the back 4. That, meant that the defenders often had to go long in search of a forward pass, where Erling Haaland cut an isolated figure for the majority of the game.

Borussia Dortmund’s equaliser came from Haaland dropping deeper to get on the ball which Jude Bellingham had brilliantly won, only this time Marco Reus made the run in behind the City defence for the first time all game, exploiting the space left by John Stones who tried to step up and press Haaland.

The Borussia Dortmund captain used the space to great effect and gave his side a massive away goal in the context of the tie.