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Manchester City Fan View: 3 things we learned from beating Dortmund

Manchester City blogger Jordan-Luke McDonald picks out the high points of the penalties defeat of Dortmund

Manchester City Fan View: 3 things we learned from beating Dortmund

Pep Guardiola got his first win as Manchester Cty manager with a penalties defeat of Dortmund - here's what we learned from the m...atch

Youth

With so much emphasis being placed on promotion of the club’s youth – now more than ever with the new state-of-the-art training facilities – fans will be delighted to have seen some of their best young stars in action against Dortmund.

Tosin Adarabioyo, Pablo Maffeo, Alex Zinchenko and Kelechi Iheanacho all kept their starting spots for the game, whilst Angus Gunn, Jason Denayer, Angelino and Aleix Garcia came on as substitutes.

Each and every one of them impressed, with most looking ready for first-team football. For City, it bodes well for the future and could be the turning point which sees some of those youngsters get a regular look in when the Premier League campaign kicks off.

Tactics

Manuel Pellegrini promised the City faithful an attractive, attacking style though his offensive emphasis ultimately left City’s defence disorganised and subject to unnecessary situations.

In direct contrast, Pep Guardiola’s entire setup based on keeping the ball in order to prevent the opposition from scoring and his defence appeared to be a solid unit.

 

The meticulous training is beginning to pay dividends and the emphasis on certain aspects of the game bled through in China: pressing and passing, possession and position.

From the moment the Dortmund players kicked off the game in the centre circle, the Blues immediately looked to press Dortmund deep into their own half, winning the ball back. From there, a series of intricate passes had the on looking Chinese fans entranced.

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City’s solo goal in regulation time was perfectly Pep. An excellent through ball from 19-year-old midfielder Aleix Garcia to compatriot David Silva, before the diminutive playmaker squared to Sergio Aguero for City’s first goal under Guardiola.

Silva to Aguero to the back of the net was typical City in the most positive sense.

Yet, what was arguably the most impressive characteristic wasn’t what City were doing on the ball. The one-touch passing, of course, inspired excitement amongst the club’s supporters. But the players’ movement off the ball, whether in the offensive or defensive phase, was a joy to behold.

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The Citizens initially adopted a seeming 3-4-1-2 formation with Aleksander Kolarov playing his part at centre back as he did against Bayern. Fabian Delph enjoyed the freedom of playing further up the pitch, whilst Brazilian duo Fernando and Fernandinho secured the midfield.

With a manager who utilised seven formations between November 2015 and the end of last season in Munich, versatility and flexibility is expected, and City employed a variety of formations across the 90 minutes.

Having become accustomed to unmotivated apathy from certain individuals, particularly last season, Guardiola’s promise to instil confidence into his players appears to have been fulfilled.

 

Transfers

While many have impressed under Pep, several first team stars have been touted as potential exiters from the Etihad in recent weeks as the pace of the transfer window begins to accelerate.

Ivorian compatriots Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony were brought on at half-time and were withdrawn from the action just 35 minutes later, making way for Raheem Sterling and new signing Nolito; their lack of mobility could ultimately lose them their respective places in the starting line-up.

Having cemented himself into the number 1 jersey in recent years, Joe Hart did not feature in the squad at all, not even the bench. Willy Caballero started the game, with academy stopper Angus Gunn taking his place for the second period.

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Question marks have been raised over Hart’s showing at the Euros, plus his poor distribution, with Rulli and Claudio Bravo both linked to replace him.

Another name who did not feature in the squad is Samir Nasri, who has allegedly been banished from first-team training by Guardiola for being overweight. In a squad blessed with an abundance of attacking talent, in addition to the rumours of Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus and Marlos Moreno moving to Manchester, the former French international could be one of numerous casualties in Guardiola’s revolution.

In terms of additional incomings, Pep insisted in his press conference after the match that Leroy Sane and John Stones are still Schalke and Everton players respectively. However, his decision to mention their names directly implies that negotiations are far from fiction and somewhat close to fruition.