Man City v Borussia Dortmund predicted XIs: Team news as Akanji says he doesn’t want to be a “random player”
Manchester City ready themselves to face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday at 8pm (UK time).
Pep Guardiola is set to take charge of his 150th Champions League game in midweek, becoming only the fifth manager to reach the milestone in the competition’s history, and he will no doubt want to mark the occasion by securing three points and consolidating his side’s place atop the fledgling Group G table.
Edin Terzic has already faced City when he was caretaker boss of BVB in 2021, losing 4-2 on aggregate in the Champions League quarter-finals. Now in the hotseat on a permanent basis, the 39-year-old tactician will be aiming to bounce back from the weekend’s chastening 3-0 reversal to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
Man City news vs Borussia Dortmund:
Out: Aymeric Laporte
Doubtful: Kyle Walker, John Stones
Kyle Walker and John Stones both face late fitness tests, but this game has definitely come too soon for Aymeric Laporte, who continues to recover from a serious knee injury that has kept him out of action for the campaign, meaning summer signing Manuel Akanji is set to be drafted in following his deadline-day move.
Signed from Dortmund in the final few hours of the summer window, Akanji has expressed his desire to make a name for himself in Pep Guardiola’s team and not just become another “random player”.
He told the Manchester Evening News: “I also want to show I did not come here to be just a random player. I want to be on this team and play as much as possible. Some people might still have doubts about it and I need to prove to them I can do it, and that’s why I’m here.
“Even Erling when he came, there were questions over if he could do here the same. Of course, he’s proving them wrong. I want to prove myself. I know I am capable of doing it, but I need to show it.”
Predicted Man City XI vs Borussia Dortmund:
- (4-3-3): Ederson; Cancelo, Akanji, Dias, Gomez; Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva; Foden, Mahrez, Haaland.
| Club | Sky Bet |
| Manchester City | 2/1 |
| Bayern Munich | 9/2 |
| Arsenal | 11/2 |
| Real Madrid | 11/2 |
| PSG | 11/1 |
| Barcelona | 16/1 |
| Inter Milan | 20/1 |
| Atletico Madrid | 22/1 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 33/1 |
| Napoli | 33/1 |
| Real Sociedad | 50/1 |
| RB Leipzig | 66/1 |
You have to be 18+ to gamble. All odds within this article are accurate at the time of writing (12:30, 25/01/2024). BeGambleAware.
Borussia Dortmund team news vs Man City:
- Out: Mahmoud Dahoud, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Thorgan Hazard, Gregor Kobel, Mateu Morey
Terzic has a fair few injury issues to contend with of his own, including Mahmoud Dahoud, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Thorgan Hazard, with the former not expected back until the start of November with a shoulder injury, while ‘keeper Gregor Kobel and Mateu Morey are also out of action. In a boost, though, Donyell Malen and Karim Adeyemi could return here following a thigh and foot problem respectively.
Predicted Borussia Dortmund XI vs Man City:
- (4-2-3-1): Meyer; Meunier, Sule, Schhlotterbeck, Guerreiro; Bellingham, Can; Brandt, Reus, Reyna; Adeyemi.
