by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- The neon yellow No. 17 shirt from 2020 remains a popular choice among Borussia Dortmund supporters. Many Black and Yellow fans may be seen wearing Erling Haaland jerseys when Dortmund faces Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League.
For coach Niko Kovac, the main puzzle is how to contain one of world football's best strikers. For fans, the reunion with their former spearhead stirs deep nostalgia. Haaland's 86 goals in 89 appearances remain legendary, as do his two goals against Paris Saint-Germain in February 2020 at age 19 and his brace in Dortmund's 2021 German Cup final win over RB Leipzig.
Though his move to Manchester City brought superstardom, Haaland has kept a link to Dortmund. This summer, he posted a photo wearing that same neon yellow BVB shirt, greeting fans and reigniting affection from supporters who have even forgiven his goals against them in previous meetings.
Still, the Norwegian striker poses the biggest threat to Dortmund's defense. To counter him, Dortmund is racing to have key defender Nico Schlotterbeck fit. The 25-year-old missed the weekend's Bundesliga win at Augsburg with the flu but trained individually and is expected to travel to Manchester.
Kovac and his staff view Haaland as the decisive factor. If Schlotterbeck can return for the final session in England without setbacks, Dortmund's chances improve. Despite an upswing in recent performances, the statistics favor City, which has three wins and two draws in six previous meetings, with Dortmund winning once. ■