Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund: Blues to win battle of wobbling champions

Can City skipper Vincent Kompany recapture his best form?
Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund were both crowned as league champions last season, but they have made stuttering starts to this campaign, writes Kevin Hatchard.
Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund, Wed 19:45 BST, Live on Sky Sports 2
Match Odds: Manchester City 1.9420/21, Dortmund 4.47/2, the draw 3.8514/5
The champions of England and Germany are set to do battle at the Etihad Stadium, and both clubs are struggling to replicate the stellar form of last season. Manchester City are fourth in the Premier League and have fallen four points behind leaders Chelsea, while Borussia Dortmund are third in the Bundesliga and a daunting seven points adrift of Bayern Munich.
City's problems this term have stemmed from a sudden inability to defend. Roberto Mancini's men had the Premier League's best defence last term, conceding just 29 league goals and keeping 21 clean sheets in all competitions. This time around City are yet to keep a clean sheet in nine games, and they are conceding an average of 1.78 goals per game. Even Vincent Kompany, arguably the best defender in Europe last season, has struggled for form.
Mancini can at least take some comfort from his side's attacking play. City have scored in every match they've played, and they average 2.11 goals per game. Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko have scored four goals apiece, with Yaya Toure netting a further three. It bodes well that City are scoring freely despite David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Mario Balotelli playing well below their best.
Borussia Dortmund thrashed Borussia Monchengladbach 5-0 at the weekend, but they have made a patchy start to the campaign. BVB have looked particularly vulnerable on their travels, and they are yet to win an away game in the Bundesliga. They were held to a 1-1 draw at Nurnberg, before losing 3-2 at Hamburg and then throwing away 2-0 and 3-2 leads to draw 3-3 at Eintracht Frankfurt.
It's also worth considering that Jurgen Klopp's side have struggled to translate their recent domestic dominance into success on the continental stage. Last season BVB finished bottom of their Champions League group, and this time around they opened up with a deeply unconvincing 1-0 home win over Ajax. It's curious that a side that usually plays with such freedom and confidence should suffer from stage-fright at a higher level. Dortmund's away form in Europe is poor - they have lost their last three away games, and haven't won in five continental road trips.
City haven't hit the heights of last term, but I think they'll have too much firepower for a Dortmund side that looks really vulnerable away from home. City are generally very strong at the Etihad, and in their opener they gave Real Madrid a fright in Spain before losing 3-2. I think 1.9420/21 is a generous price for the home win, so take advantage.
With both attacks purring and both defences struggling, the market expects goals. Over 2.5 Goals is available at 1.715/7, while Over 3.5 Goals is trading at 2.747/4. If you're looking for a big return I would recommend backing 2-1 City in the Correct Score market at 9.28/1.
Recommended Bet: Back Manchester City to win 2-1 in the Correct Score market at 9.28/1
Best Bet: Back Manchester City to win at 1.9420/21