CHRIS SUTTON: Manchester City MUST stop Erling Haaland, overcome their psychological barrier and get selection right to see off Borussia Dortmund and reach the Champions League semi-finals
- Pep Guardiola is looking end the club’s Champions League quarter-final curse
- To do so, Manchester City must stop striker Erling Haaland to avoid another exit
- City must also overcome the psychological barrier they have with this stage
- Guardiola must also get his team selection spot on for the all-important game
Pep Guardiola is looking end the club’s Champions League quarter-final curse by getting past Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night.
Manchester City have always fallen as this hurdle under the Spanish manager’s tutelage and are eager to prove themselves in the competition.
Sportsmail’s Chris Sutton outlines what City must do to progress to the semi-finals.
Manager Pep Guardiola is looking end the club’s Champions League quarter-final curse
HALT HAALAND
Stop Erling Haaland and, in all likelihood, you stop Dortmund from inflicting another quarter-final exit on Pep Guardiola as City manager. Jadon Sancho’s absence is good news for City because he and Haaland have a great connection. One assists and the other scores.
Dortmund will create opportunities, there is no doubt about that, but City’s defence have to limit Haaland’s involvement.
Ruben Dias’s presence stopped him from striking in the first leg at the Etihad. Time for round two.
Stop Erling Haaland and you stop Dortmund from inflicting another quarter-final exit
LEARN LESSONS
City must overcome the psychological barrier they have with this stage of Europe’s elite competition.
Don’t do something silly like play a back three to defend your way into the semi-finals. Doing that backfired badly when Lyon shocked City 3-1 last year.
Go to Germany with swagger and belief that you can and will score. Dortmund’s defence is nothing to brag about. Exploit it!
City must overcome the psychological barrier they have with this stage of the competition
GET SELECTION RIGHT
Fantasy Football fans out there will tell you Guardiola’s line-ups are not easy to guess, but this is a selection he must nail.
I expect Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez will return, and Guardiola could even use Kevin De Bruyne as a false nine. You never know with him.
I expect Phil Foden (middle) and Riyad Mahrez will return to the Manchester City starting XI