Fixtures & UK kick-off times
Borussia Dortmund vs FC Copenhagen (September 6, 5.45 pm)
Sevilla vs Manchester City (September 6, 8 pm)
Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund (September 14, 8 pm)
FC Copenhagen vs Sevilla (September 14, 8pm)
Manchester City vs FC Copenhagen (October 5, 8 pm)
Sevilla vs Borussia Dortmund (October 5, 8pm)
FC Copenhagen vs Manchester City (October 11, 5.45 pm)
Borussia Dortmund vs Sevilla (October 11, 8pm)
Sevilla vs FC Copenhagen (October 25, 5.45pm)
Borussia Dortmund vs Manchester City (October 25, 8 pm)
Manchester City vs Sevilla (November 2, 8 pm)
FC Copenhagen vs Borussia Dortmund (November 2, 8 pm)
Teams
Will this finally be Manchester City’s year in the Champions League? Runners-up in 2020-21, Pep Guardiola’s side were minutes away from reaching last season’s final before dramatically collapsing against Real Madrid.
Regardless, there is no doubt that the English champions are one of the most formidable teams on the planet — and they enter this season’s competition as the bookies’ favorites with good reason.
Borussia Dortmund — winners in 1997 — pushed City hard during their quarter-final meeting two seasons ago but did not make it out of the group last time around.
Despite being without Citizens hotshot Erling Haaland’s goals, BVB tends to provide ample entertainment — even if that is partly down to their defensive leakiness.
Sevilla is having to adapt at the other end of the pitch, having lost star center-back pairing Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos this summer.
The Andalucian outfit is appearing in the Champions League group stage for the eighth time — they have advanced on five of the previous seven occasions and never finished bottom.
Rounding out Group G are FC Copenhagen, who return to Europe’s premier club competition after five seasons away.
Underdogs in this tough-looking quartet, the 14-time champions of Denmark have only made it out of the group once — in the 2010-11 campaign.
Key matches
With clear favorites and outsiders in City and Copenhagen respectively, the two meetings between Dortmund and Sevilla will likely have the most riding on them.
And those contests take place in back-to-back clashes, with the Black and Yellows heading to the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan on Matchday 3 and the reverse fixture at Signal Iduna Park coming six days later.
Neutrals will be hoping for a repeat of Dortmund and Sevilla’s 2020-21 last-16 tie, which the German side won 5-4 on aggregate after two thrilling legs.
One to watch: Erling Haaland
Haaland is the most terrifying center-forward in Europe right now.
The prolific Norwegian has made a scintillating start to his City career, scoring nine times in his first five Premier League outings.
Champions League top scorer with 10 strikes in 2020-21 — despite Dortmund’s quarter-final exit — Haaland also became the youngest player to bag 20 goals in the competition, doing so in a record-low 24 appearances.
The 22-year-old has described the Champions League as his “favorite competition” and could be the final piece of the puzzle in City’s quest for European glory.
Hot prospect: Jamie Bynoe-Gittens
Another exciting English talent to emerge in the Bundesliga, former Chelsea and City youngster Jamie Bynoe-Gittens caught the eye in last season’s UEFA Youth League and is no doubt desperate for his first taste of Champions League football.
Just four days after turning 18, the versatile winger made a game-changing impact from the bench as BVB came from behind to beat Freiburg last month.
The teenager netted his first-ever Bundesliga goal to level the scores and ignite the fightback — it felt like a breakthrough moment for a potentially very special player.
LiveScore verdict
Manchester City
Borussia Dortmund
Sevilla
FC Copenhagen
The city has finished as group winners in each of their previous five Champions League campaigns and given their enviable quality, it would be no surprise to see them win at a canter.
The race for second place could be a close run and may be decided by who comes out of the traps fastest.
Thus far, Dortmund looks in better shape than Sevilla at the start of their respective domestic campaigns.
Copenhagen will give it their all but they will have to cause several upsets if they are to avoid bringing up the rear.
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