Erling Haaland might be Manchester City’s X-factor in Europe, believes Ilkay Gundogan

Manchester — Manchester City’s new forward Erling Haaland may make all the difference in their pursuit of the elusive Champions League crown, according to midfielder Ilkay Gundogan as the two prepare to face their former side Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

City have never won Europe’s premier club championship and were eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champions Real Madrid last season, having finished second to Chelsea in the 2020-21 season.

Wednesday, prior to Dortmund’s visit to the Etihad Stadium, Gundogan told reporters that Haaland’s impressive start to his career in England can translate to success in Europe.

“This year, having a true number nine will be of great assistance to us,” Gundogan remarked. “We shall see, and winning the Champions League is a wonderful accomplishment.

It is never easy to play in this battle, and small factors can occasionally determine the winner.

Haaland has scored 12 goals in all competitions since joining City in the offseason, including two on his European debut as City defeated Sevilla 4-0 in their opening game to take the lead in Group G.

“The figures speak for themselves. I believe the club has signed an amazing talent,” Gundogan said. “Not only has he performed well on the field, but his off-the-field mentality, determination, and attitude have been impressive for such a young youngster.

We are both looking forward to the game against our old team, as he is quite mature and has a promising future.

Manuel Akanji, another former Dortmund player, is in the running to feature in the game, according to City boss Pep Guardiola.

“They (Borussia Dortmund) know these guys (Haaland and Akanji) better than I do, for sure,” Guardiola remarked. They were there for a few years and stand to gain.

“We will determine tomorrow if it is advantageous. However, they also know the Dortmund players.”

Guardiola reported that Aymeric Laporte trained for the first time after knee surgery, but Kyle Walker was absent.

Reuters