Borussia Dortmund (A) - CL QF | Pre-Match Thread

[St.Pauli support]

One goal for us would be huge. They would then have to score 2 at least. As it is they still have to score 1. They'll be on the front foot from the off. Space will be available like it was in the 2nd half at home. Defence is not their strong point. Phil could have buried 2 before they got their equaliser. Hopefully we will take the chances we get .

Not sure. They don't want to bust their hopes too early,
waiting for us making nervy mistakes. A late 1-0 is enough.
Surely no one on here wants to experience a 0-0 and 10 mins left...

I think they couldn't defend an early 1-0 though.

Hope we can show a strong mentality from the go. Changed my vote from lose to win. We'll do it this time.

 

[Akpowell]

This is my first post. So it's going to be a good one... Dortmund 0:4 City

Good start

 

[Akpowell]

Getting nervous for this one.

Based on some of Peps comments and performances over the weekend I think we'll drop the false 9 and go in with a proper striker. Ill go:

Ederson
Walker
Stones
Dias
Zinchenko
Rodri
Gundo
KDB
Mahrez
Foden
Jesus

Expecting it'll be a nervy slog but I'll predict 2-1 City with a late City goal to put it out of reach and we get through. Haaland tries to get on the City plane after the match and has to be removed.

A proper striker!

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

It is a must win and it gives us a springboard for a massive 2 weeks coming up.

Semi, League Game, Final, CL Semi

I wondered why there was no let up this season, and forgot they had shunted that final back and in a typical year we'd already have that in our pocket, taking a tiny bit of the tension out of the season. The next few weeks are huge.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

Not sure. They don't want to bust their hopes too early,
waiting for us making nervy mistakes. A late 1-0 is enough.
Surely no one on here wants to experience a 0-0 and 10 mins left...

I think they couldn't defend an early 1-0 though.

Hope we can show a strong mentality from the go. Changed my vote from lose to win. We'll do it this time.

Agreed. One thing a lot of city fans somehow forgot is that most teams are just as, if not more, afraid of us than we are of them. At 0-0 they are still in the game, 1-0 down and they've got a lot of work to do. I expect it will be a very cagey opening half an hour.

 

[BLUE THUNDER]

Sterling needs to stay on the bench, he is a liability.
Watching Sane tear it up for BM against PSG I can't help but notice the difference in class and impact.
Sane breezes past opponents, has a final ball and end product.
Sterling has none of these things.

 

[Cobwebcat]

Should go through. Might not. Hate knockout footy!

 

[Greenjob]

Lets just hope Pep doesn't have a QF bout of 'thought Diarrhea' as in previous years and gets the line up bang on, tactics bang on. Makes the right sub calls when needed and in good time!! :D

 

[The Colonel]

Hope we don't play that CM. Dortmund would most likely play through it with ease. I'd prefer to see KDB as a false 9 and Bernardo in CM to add a bit of energy and help prevent the breaks. It worked well for us earlier in the season.

I agree with that. Best performance this year was with that formation v Munchengladbach. Need Bernardo in the middle badly, he’s not a false nine.
Time to be brave lads, then we win.

 

[MAG]

Sterling needs to stay on the bench, he is a liability.
Watching Sane tear it up for BM against PSG I can't help but notice the difference in class and impact.
Sane breezes past opponents, has a final ball and end product.
Sterling has none of these things.

Agree (to some extent) ... but Sane's decision making tonight was as wank as Sterling's right now.

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

No excuses, it’s there for us to exploit, despite the potential PSG game... win this and I wholeheartedly believe we can do the impossible

2-1, couple for raz

 

[Bluekiwi]

Surely no one on here wants to experience a 0-0 and 10 mins left...

I don't think much of my breakfast would find its way off the cutlery and into my mouth if that was the situation.

 

[The Colonel]

Sterling needs to stay on the bench, he is a liability.
Watching Sane tear it up for BM against PSG I can't help but notice the difference in class and impact.
Sane breezes past opponents, has a final ball and end product.
Sterling has none of these things.

Sterling’s badly off form but he’s better than Sane on the day, some seem to have forgotten his numbers for City in the previous two seasons. Sane was quite wasteful also tonight btw.

 

[adam.marrett]

Absolutely bricking it for this one. Hate these Champions League quarter finals, our record is a chain around our neck. Though I feel is we get through tomorrow morning it's our chance to go and take it.

Hoping we can get a early goal and Pep doesn't over think the game. I'll take a nil/nil but I don't think I could handle sitting through it.

Here's hoping we are all celebrating come this time tomorrow. Bring it on.

 

[mikemcfc]

Both teams won 1-0 tonight (Bayern and Porto) and still gone out (due to away goals conceded in the first leg) ...

I agree scoring 2 for us would be great but even one early goal will surely be good for our health. Not sure I can hang on till 90 mins if tie is in such balance like Bayern PSG was till the every end tonight.

yes, is why i said two, meant as a minimum requirement if it didn't come off like that.
And I agree, early goals and often to ease the nerves, but lol, do we ever make it that easy?
I see that we should prevail no problem unless calls are not equitable.

 

[Metalartin]

Sterling is due a return to form IMO, which could be great timing for us when he does, especially if opposition teams start putting less focus on him.

 

[bballchinaski]

would play:

ederson
walker stones dias cancelo
rodri
bernardo gundogan
mahrez de bruyne (false9) Foden

basically keep spamming them with midfielders but dont play rodri and gundo side by side please

 

[Shirley]

Sterling needs to stay on the bench, he is a liability.
Watching Sane tear it up for BM against PSG I can't help but notice the difference in class and impact.
Sane breezes past opponents, has a final ball and end product.
Sterling has none of these things.

Not according to the BT commentators, they continually slagged Sane in both games.

 

[Elliot houghton]

Feel like we definitely need someone next to Rodri to stop there counter attacking threat wouldn't surprise me if both Fernardinho and Rodri start

 

[PrezIke]

Sterling needs to stay on the bench, he is a liability.
Watching Sane tear it up for BM against PSG I can't help but notice the difference in class and impact.
Sane breezes past opponents, has a final ball and end product.
Sterling has none of these things.