The International Champions Cup takes place as Borussia Dortmund gear up for their second encounter in the pre-season tournament as they face Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on Thursday in China. After convincingly routing past Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, the german giants will be looking for a similar performance against Manchester City, whose friendly against Manchester United got cancelled out due to poor weather condition, nothing less than a win would be satisfying for Pep Guardiola.
In this article, however, we will be looking at Borussia Dortmund’s possible starting eleven against the Blues.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper: Roman Weidenfeller will start the game against the Citizens. The 35-year-old veteran goalkeeper has been on the blocks for a long time now. Although he didn’t have to do much against Manchester United in their last friendly, Weidenfeller will once again guard the net against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Right Back: Young talent Felix Passlack is expected to start the match. The 18-year-old Fritz Walter Gold Medal winner, a prize given to the best young player in Germany, is one of Dortmund’s best talents right now. Passlack got his breakthrough in the second half of last season and since then, he has been constantly included in the squad roster. Passlack also had a decent outing against Manchester United on Friday. The second choice is Erik Durm.
Right Centre Back: Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos is arguably the best defender for Borussia Dortmund right now. A no nonsense defender and ‘hard guy’ on the pitch, Sokratis isn’t gonna fear anyone. One of the best players in the team against the Red Devils, Sokratis, almost single-handedly kept out the whole Man United attack.
Left Centre Back: New signing Marc Bartra will probably play his first game for Borussia Dortmund against Manchester United. The Barcelona defender moved to the Signal Iduna Park after not enough chances at Barcelona. After coming on just round the quarter after the first half, Bartra looked calm, composed and confident against Man United.
Left Back: Marcel Schmelzer will play on the left-hand side of the defense. The 28-year-old is a seasoned starter for Dortmund who will captain the game against the Red Devils.
Defensive Midfield: Youngster Julian Weigl is going to start as the main holding midfielder. The 20 year had a breakout season last year after signing from 1860 Munchen for just three and a half million. Weigl is currently one of Germany’s top talents and even got selected in their 23-man squad for the Euros.
Midfield: Either of Gonzalo Castro or Sebastian Rode will be the central midfielder against United. Castro is a great all-around technical midfielder while Sebastian Rode is a more physical minded midfielder with good passing abilities. Also, youngster Mikel Merino might as well feature. Castro scored a brace against Manchester United and was, arguably the best player on the field.
Right Midfield: Ousmane Dembele will play on the right wing. The 19-year-old wonder kid is currently one of Europe’s top talents. Dembele’s performance in the pre-season has been fiery so far. Dembele also scored a wonderful solo goal against The Red Devils and he will be looking to keep his good form going against Manchester City. Watch out for him!
Central Attacking Midfield: Former Manchester United playmaker Shinji Kagawa will be up against his former club when the two sides clash. While United, wasted his talents by playing him on the wings, Dortmund won’t make the same mistake and he will start from his preferred central position. Moritz Leitner or Gonzalo Castro might also be shifted into the position later on.
Left Midfield: With Marco Reus injured, it will be interesting to see who starts in the Left midfield positions. American wonder kid Christian Pulisic is the favorite but don’t write off newcomer Emre Mor, who looked very promising in the Euros for Turkey.
Striker: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be the lone striker upfront. With a relatively young squad, Aubameyang will lead the charge for BVB as they look to outperform Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United. Adrian Ramos is the second option for Dortmund.
