Manchester City found its Champions League rhythm in style, sweeping aside Borussia Dortmund 4-1 in Berlin to surge into fourth place in the standings — just two points behind Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Inter.
Foden Sparks the Turnaround
Dortmund began on the front foot, pressing high and forcing Manchester City into early defensive work. But once Phil Foden found space on the edge of the box and tucked a low finish into the corner in the 22nd minute, the tide turned decisively.
Seven minutes later, Erling Haaland — facing his former club — doubled the advantage with a thumping strike from a Jeremy Doku cross, tilting the momentum fully City’s way. From then on, Pep Guardiola’s side dictated possession and tempo.
Dortmund Overrun by City’s Pace
Despite their bright start, Dortmund couldn’t cope with City’s movement. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel kept the scoreline respectable before halftime with several sharp stops, but Foden struck again in the 57th minute, curling into the same corner for 3-0.
Waldemar Anton offered brief hope with a volley from a clever short free kick to make it 3-1, and Karim Adeyemi came close twice as Dortmund pushed forward. Yet substitute Rayan Cherki settled it in stoppage time with a calm finish to complete the rout.
Guardiola’s Men in Full Flow
The result extended City’s unbeaten home streak in European competition to six matches, keeping them firmly in contention for progression ahead of heavyweight fixtures against Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen.
Dortmund, suffering their first defeat of the Champions League campaign, will look to regroup before hosting Villarreal.
“We started well but were too passive overall. Conceding four goals is too much — it might hurt us later with goal difference,” admitted Dortmund boss Niko Kovac.
Guardiola, meanwhile, was all smiles: “The first 15 minutes, I said, wow — they were good and put us under a lot of pressure. But we played a great game. We’re not Bayern, not Arsenal, but we’re close.”
Around Europe
Elsewhere, Inter Milan stayed perfect with a 2-1 win at FC Kairat, Qarabag held Chelsea 2-2, Pafos stunned Villarreal 1-0, Galatasaray thrashed Ajax 3-0, Bayer Leverkusen edged Benfica 1-0, Barcelona drew 3-3 with Club Brugge, Atalanta beat Marseille 1-0, and Newcastle handled Athletic Club 2-0.
