Manchester City VS Borussia Dortmund Match Prediction
2018-07-21
01:05:00
Manchester City
VS
Borussia Dortmund
Our Prediction Tip
Borussia Dortmund will win this match.
2018-07-2101:05:00 Borussia Dortmund will win this match.
Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City have met once before in the International Champions Cup, in China in 2016. Sergio Aguero put the Blues in front before Christian Pulisic scored a 96th-minute equaliser. In the penalty shoot-out that followed, Angus Gunn was Manchester City’s hero as he saved three penalties in a 6-5 City triumph.
The only other matches between the two teams were in the 2012-13 Champions League - a 1-1 draw at the Etihad and a 1-0 Dortmund win in the reverse fixture.
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While it is always risky betting on pre-season friendlies, given the different objectives teams will have - fitness, new tactics etc - the stage each team is at is usually a clue.
Dortmund have blown off the cobwebs in their 1-0 win against Austria Vienna, while City will be just getting into the swing of things.
Dortmund have more of their big-name players available too, with City represented by 16 of their first-team squad at the World Cup. Riyad Mahrez will hope to make an immediate impact and Leroy Sane - a shock World Cup absentee - has a point to prove against German opposition but the likelihood is City will experiment with their formation.
The last time these two teams met in pre-season, the match ended in a 1-1 draw with Dortmund triumphing on penalties. City had more of their leading first-teamers available, however.
Of the two goalscorers, Pulisic will be in action in Chicago but Aguero will not.
On an ordinary day, City would be favourites for this one, but it would be a risk to back them in their first pre-season friendly of the summer, particularly with so many regular first-teamers unavailable.
Borussia Dortmund are narrow favourites with the bookmakers thanks to already having started their pre-season and having more first-team players available. Dortmund are 6/4 to win with Bet365 while City are 13/8.
Of the first-team players available, two - Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez - are attacking players, while Brahim Diaz and Lukas Nmecha have made first-team appearances too, but the Blues tend to start pre-season slowly. As a result, betting against both teams to score at 7/5 with 10Bet and Betway could be worthwhile.
A Dortmund win to nil, for the same treason, is 9/2 with Bet365 though if you fancy both teams to score, Bet365 are offering a best price of 10/3 on Dortmund to win and BTTS.
Christian Pulisic scored the last time these two teams met, and is 13/5 to score at any time in Chicago, while Alexander Isak - Dortmund’s match winner against Austria Vienna - is 17/10. Jadon Sancho would love to score against his former team, meanwhile - the English teenager is 21/10 to find the net at any time.
Borussia Dortmund have already started their pre-season preparations, while Manchester City - without 16 first-team players who were on World Cup duty - tend to start their pre-season slowly. Dortmund can make a winning start to the International Champions Cup.
Leroy Sane's surprise omission from Germany's World Cup squad means he is one of few of the regular title winners to be available for Pep Guardiola's first friendly of the new season. He will link up with new club-record signing Riyad Mahrez, while Aymeric Laporte - City's former record signing - is also in training having not been in France's World Cup squad. Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and young winger Brahim Diaz should also feature, alongside academy graduates Tosin Adarabioyo and Lukas Nmecha - who were both on the fringes of the first-team squad last year. Wing-back Oleksandr Zinchenko is a rumoured transfer target for Wolves and Fulham, but is set to travel, while Phil Foden is also available after City requested he not be selected for the England Under-19s.
Riyad Mahrez – The club's new record signing will make his first appearances in a City shirt in Chicago, having scored 12 goals and bagged ten assists in the Premier League last season.
Leroy Sane – His absence from Germany's World Cup squad was one of the major pre-tournament talking points after ten goals and 15 assists in the league last season. He'll have a point to prove against German opposition.
Aymeric Laporte – City's club-record signing prior to Mahrez's arrival, and the French defender will lead the defence in Chicago.
Manchester City won the Premier League title with five games still to play last season and won four of those five remaining games. The only team to keep them out was Huddersfield Town, who secured a goalless draw; City beat Swansea 5-0, scored their 100th goal of the Premier League season as they beat West Ham 4-1 and then followed the Huddersfield stalemate with a 3-1 defeat of Brighton in Yaya Toure's final game. Pep Guardiola's side then scored in stoppage time against Southampton on the final day, through Gabriel Jesus, to beat the Saints 1-0 and finish on an unprecedented 100 points.
Borussia Dortmund have already started their pre-season preparations, with their World Cup players unavailable against Austria Vienna. Julian Weigl and Mahmoud Dahoud also missed out through injury but the latter could be fit to face City. Like Phil Foden for the Blues, Jadon Sancho will be available against his former team after he was not released for England Under-19s duty.
Christian Pulisic – Much is expected of the American international, who has been dubbed the most gifted player his country has ever produced
Mario Gotze – Germany’s 2014 World Cup hero has plenty to prove after losing fitness and form in the past two years – this is a crucial season for him
Alexander Isak – Sweden’s teenage striker scored Borussia Dortmund’s winner in their first friendly of pre-season against Austria Vienna.
Borussia Dortmund have already started their pre-season schedule for the new season, beating Austria Vienna 1-0 thanks to Alexander Isak’s goal. Dortmund will be hoping for a good first pre-season under Lucien Favre, having lost their last two games of the 2017/18 Bundesliga season, 2-1 to Mainz 05 and 3-1 to 1899 Hoffenheim
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