International Champions Cup Kicks Off Domestic Pre-Season

International Champions Cup 2018

Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund

Saturday, July 21^st
Soldier Field, Chicago
Kick-off at 03:05am CAT

Manchester City will take on Borussia Dortmund in Chicago as the annual International Champions Cup kicks off. This prestigious pre-season competition captures the imagination of fans and sees no less than 18 top-flight European teams battling through a trio of friendlies, with the competition taking place across three continents. African viewers can catch the opening encounter in the early hours of Saturday morning.



Pep Guardiola’s English Premier League champions return to the States once again in 2018 and have included record summer signing, Riyadh Mahrez from Leicester City, in their travelling party along with Leroy Sane who was a surprise omission from Germany’s World Cup squad. Fellow internationals Benjamin Mendy (France) and Bernado Silva (Portugal) have also joined up with their team-mates despite featuring, albeit on the fringes, at the World Cup in Russia.
 


Dortmund unveiled their third coach in as many seasons ahead of the 2018/19 campaign. Former Nice manager Lucien Favre is no stranger to German football and replaces Peter Bosz at the helm tasked with returning them to the summit of European football. He will first have to mastermind a way past the seemingly unbeatable Bayern Munich, under new guidance themselves, as well as finding a suitable replacement for Michy Batshauyi who contributed so effectively during his loan spell from Chelsea. The Belgian scored nine goals in just 14 matches following Pierre Emerick Aubameyang’s departure to Arsenal.



19-year-old American sensation Christian Pulisic will be eager to impress in front of his adoring ‘home’ crowd. The winger is currently the youngest foreign-born goalscorer in Bundesliga history as well as the youngest player to appear in a World Cup qualifier for the USA.

Former Borussia Dortmund midfield lynchpin Ilkay Gundogan spent five years in Germany, winning both the league and cup during his time there before making the move to Manchester City in 2016 yet will miss the opportunity to face his former side after being granted additional leave, along with a host of other first-team stars, following the conclusion of the World Cup.



The pair have faced just a couple of times previously, in the group stage of Europe’s elite club competition – the UEFA Champions League – back in 2012. The duo exchanged blows at the Etihad in the first of those fixtures as Marco Rues cancelled out Mario Balotelli’s opener as each side settled for the early draw before Julian Schieber’s goals secured a vital 1-0 win in the return match and sealed the German’s passage through to the knockout stages at their opponents’ expense.

Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund head-to-head:

Played: 2
Man City Wins: 0
Draws: 1
Dortmund Wins: 1

Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund results:

04/12/2012 – Dortmund 1-0 Man City
03/10/2012 – Man City 1-1 Dortmund

 
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