Manchester City 4 (Phil Foden 22′, 57′, Erling Haaland 29′, Rayan Cherki 90+1)
Borussia Dortmund 1 (Waldemar Anton 72′)
Manchester City have beaten Borussia Dortmund 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium tonight. Pep Guardiola’s side showed their quality in the final third with a display that proved how powerful this City team can be when they click up front.
When the starting lineups were announced, Pep Guardiola had made three changes from the starting eleven that beat Bournemouth last Sunday. John Stones, Savinho, and Tijjani Reijnders came in for Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Rayan Cherki. Rodri didn’t make City’s matchday squad as his battle to return to full fitness continues.
First half
Borussia Dortmund began the game brightly and looked cool and composed in possession during the game’s opening 10 minutes. The threat and pace of Karim Adeyemi on their right wing did stand out. Manchester City had the first shot on target in the 9th minute through Phil Foden. Foden hit a powerful strike from the edge of the Dortmund penalty area straight at Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel. Savinho spooned the rebound over the bar from six yards out but was flagged for offside.
After Dortmund’s bright start, Manchester City began to drop the visitors through their possession from the 10th minute through to the 20th minute. Jeremy Doku and Savinho had their moments, but Pep Guardiola’s side didn’t create any significant chances of note. But that would change in the 22nd minute.
Phil Foden gives Manchester City the lead with a classy finish!!!!
Manchester City would take the lead in the 22nd minute. After some nice build-up play, Tijjani Reijnders picked out Phil Foden in plenty of space 40 yards from the Dortmund goal. Foden had time to get within 25 yards of goal and unleashed a well-placed and clever low drive that beat Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel at the far post. It was a brilliant finish from Foden and was a fine reward for Manchester City’s dominance of the game’s previous 12 minutes.
🚨🇪🇺 PHIL FODEN OPENS THE SCORING FOR MANCHESTER CITY!
Manchester City 1-0 Dortmund.pic.twitter.com/TTmVFbmsui
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) November 5, 2025
Nico O’Reilly would be denied by Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel in the 28th minute. Erling Haaland drove at the Dortmund defence with a superb run and picked out Nico O’Reilly on the penalty spot. O’Reilly got his shot on target, but Kobel made a strong save to deny O’Reilly.
Erling Haaland doubles Manchester City’s lead.
Erling Haaland would get himself on the score sheet in the 29th minute. Jeremy Doku played a teasing ball from the left across the Dortmund area. The ball came to Haaland at the back post, and he smashed a powerful finish past Kobel to double Manchester City’s lead. It was a typical Haaland finish, which came at the end of a spell of sustained City pressure.
🚨🇪🇺 HAALAND DOUBLES THE LEAD FOR MANCHESTER CITY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Manchester City 2-0 Dortmund.pic.twitter.com/p8ZcEG3GPU
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) November 5, 2025
Tijjani Reijnders would see a stinging drive saved by Gregor Kobel in the 33rd minute. Savinho, who was causing Dortmund all sorts of issues on the right wing, made a driving run at the Dortmund defence. He laid the ball off for Reijnders, who fired in a rocket at goal, which Kobel saved. The rebound fell to Erling Haaland, but he couldn’t divert his header on target.
Gianluigi Donnarumma would make his first save of the game in the 39th minute. Karim Adeyemi cut inside from the right and unleashed a stinging drive with his left foot at goal. Donnarumma got down well to his right to prevent Borussia Dortmund from getting back into the game. Adeyemi looked like Dortmund’s most pronounced attacking threat as he stood up Nico O’Reilly and got his shot away.
Outside of a moment where Manchester City played themselves into trouble at the back, which led to a half chance for Karim Adeyemi and an Erling Haaland strike that was hit straight at Gregor Kobel in the 43rd minute, the rest of the first half played out without incident. Pep Guardiola’s side were well worth their 2-nil lead at the interval after an impressive first half showing.
Second half
Pep Guardiola’s side made a bright start to the second half. Savinho saw a shot saved by Gregor Kobel in the 46th minute from the right as City went looking for a third goal to put the match to bed. Manchester City pinned Dortmund deep in their own half in the opening five minutes of the second half.
Phil Foden grabs himself a brace with a sublime finish.
Manchester City would take a 3-nil lead in the 57th minute. Tijjani Reijnders picked out Foden on the edge of the area, and he beat Gregor Kobel with a superb finish to make it 3-nil. Foden’s second goal was as nice as his first, and it was a typical Foden finish. The England international has been in superb form of late, and his brace tonight was a fine reward for his recent displays and dominant performance against Dortmund so far tonight.
🚨🇪🇺 PHIL FODEN MAKES IT THREE FOR MANCHESTER CITY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A GOAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Manchester City 3-0 Dortmund.pic.twitter.com/nJKRww8rSb
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) November 5, 2025
Savinho would fire a volley over the bar in the 61st minute. A flowing City move saw Erling Haaland pick out Phil Foden on the left wing. Foden played a teasing dinked ball across the Dortmund area, which found Savinho unmarked at the back post. The Brazilian international fired his volley over the bar from a good position. It was a beautiful City move, and you did feel that Savinho deserved a goal for his performance and confidence.
Donnarumma would make his second save of the night in the 65th minute. Jeremy Doku gave away possession in a dangerous area of the pitch, which allowed Dortmund to get in on goal. Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy got in a powerful shot from a good position on the right, which Donnarumma saved at his near post.
A clever set piece sees Dortmund pull a goal back.
Borussia Dortmund would pull a goal back in the 72nd minute. The visitors received a free kick just inside the City half. It was played quickly down the right-hand side, which allowed Julien Ryerson to play in a quality low ball from the right. Dortmund centre-back Waldemar Anton got in at the near post to beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a superb finish to make it 3-1. It was a frustrating goal for City to concede who had switched off at the back, and Dortmund pounced to give themselves a way back into the game.
John Stones made a desperate block in the 76th minute to deny a Karim Adeyemi strike from the penalty spot. The visitors had upped the ante after their goal, and the four substitutions that Niko Kovac made in the 64th minute profoundly impacted the game.
Rayan Cherki makes it 4-1 to cap off an emphatic City victory.
Manchester City would add a fourth goal in the 91st minute. Rayan Cherki would be the scorer after he made a driving run at the Dortmund defence and beat Gregor Kobel with a cool finish with his right foot from just inside the area. The goal capped off the match for Pep Guardiola’s side, and Cherki grabbed a goal to cap off a cameo appearance in which he dazzled with a cheeky back heel and a few other moments of quality.
🚨🇪🇺 RAYAN CHERKI HAS MADE IT FOUR FOR MANCHESTER CITY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BEAUTIFUL GOAL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Manchester City 4-1 Dortmund.pic.twitter.com/nb1w6aeROW
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) November 5, 2025
That would be the final moment of significance from the match as Manchester City picked up a 4-1 win to put themselves in a good position with four games remaining in the Champions League league phase.
First thoughts at the final whistle.
Manchester City did what they had to do tonight to pick up three points, and when they had to, they showed the gulf in quality between the two sides. Borussia Dortmund are a quality team in their own right, but Pep Guardiola’s side swept them aside in style. Dortmund had their moments, and the 4-1 scoreline did feel harsh on the visitors. But all told, it was a good performance from City and they now move onto Sunday’s clash with Liverpool full of confidence.