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EPL: Man City falls to Dortmund in ICC opener in Chicago

By Orri Benatar

CHICAGO, IL - JULY 20: Mario Gotze #10 of Borussia Dortmund reacts after scoring on a penalty kick against the Borussia Dortmund in the first half of an International Champions Cup match at Soldier Field on July 20, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JULY 20: Mario Gotze #10 of Borussia Dortmund reacts after scoring on a penalty kick against the Borussia Dortmund in the first half of an International Champions Cup match at Soldier Field on July 20, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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The ICC began in Chicago with a dull match between Man City and Borussia Dortmund. We saw a couple glimpses of the top players in the Windy City.

Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund opened the 2018 International Champions Cup at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. Dortmund defeated Man City 1-0 in a very boring match overall. The lone goal came in the 28th minute. Dortmund’s American winger Christian Pulisic made a run into the box and was fouled for a penalty. Mario Gotze stepped up and hit it home past Claudio Bravo to score the winning goal.

Pep Guardiola had a couple of stars play in today’s game. Riyad Mahrez made his unofficial debut in the sky blue and played 72 minutes. He had a chance to score late in the first half with a free kick. His thunderbolt was saved by Marwin Hitz. Leroy Sane also made an appearance late in the second half.

Man City was unable to generate much offense all game with just five shots. They had a majority of the possession but had a lot of errant passes. Dortmund connected more in the final third and their younger players performed much better. Mahmoud Dahoud was impressive in the second half with some skill moves and good crosses.

The next challenger – Liverpool

Shark Team will try to re-sharpen their teeth at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday. They will play Liverpool in their second ICC match in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Liverpool has played their new stars and current stars in their preseason matches already. The Reds will have an advantage in Wednesday’s encounter, which I hope is way better than tonight’s contest.

Dortmund’s win gives them a great chance to win the ICC in the States. They step right back onto the pitch on Sunday after a flight from Chicago to Charlotte, North Carolina. Like City, the Black & Yellow next play Liverpool in their second ICC encounter. It will be the first time since the 2015-16 Europa League quarterfinals that Jurgen Klopp will face his former team.

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The next ICC match will be in Austria when Bayern Munich play PSG in Klagenfurt tomorrow morning. After this weekend, the tournament will kick into high gear with four matches on Wednesday and a full weekend of games. The preseason is just getting started.

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