Manchester City have Champions League aspirations, but who will step up next to Erling Haaland?

On Wednesday, Erling Haaland and Manchester City will host his former team, Borussia Dortmund, looking to charge up the table in the Champions League league phase. City have been susceptible away from home, losing two of their last five matches, but their home has still been a fortress. Dortmund will be a strong challenger with their attacking ability, but they'd need to break a run of six matches so far this season at home for City without a loss. 

Haaland has been in unreal form this season with goals in every appearance for the club but two, leading to a total of 17 goals in only 13 appearances, and in City's last four home matches, they've won by a total of 12 goals to only one. Dortmund and City have met six times in Champions League play, with Dortmund only winning one, while two matches ended in a draw, and City won three. 

How to watch Manchester City vs. Borussia Dortmund, odds

• Date: Wednesday, Nov. 5 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
• Location: Etihad Stadium -- Manchester, England 
• Live stream: Paramount+
• Odds: Manchester City -230; Draw +390; Dortmund +550

We're a far way off the previous inevitability that City used to carry themselves with, but winning against opposition of Dortmund's caliber will go a long way to getting back to where they want to be. Dortmund have scored four goals in three consecutive Champions League matches and can become the first team ever to score that many in four straight if they can run up the score on City.

Where concern comes in is that Dortmund only won two of these matches because they allowed four goals facing Juventus for that to end in a draw. Given Haaland's form, that kind of defending won't lead to a fun day away from home. But if Dortmund can figure out how to stop Haaland, that's where things could get interesting. 

After the Norwegian, no one on the team has scored more than two goals this season. Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, and Rayan Cherki all have scored two goals, and then there are six players who have scored one goal. When City signed players like Omar Marmoush to improve the attack, they still haven't been able to figure out who the secondary attacker is on the squad. 

It's been an issue since Julian Alvarez left for Atletico Madrid, and it's one that if City can't solve it soon, they won't be able to win this competition with teams like Bayern Munich getting better by the day. Haaland's form has been great and he has done a good job getting them to this point, but much more is needed before City can rise the ranks of the contenders. Facing a team that has gone deep in Champions League play multiple times in recent seasons, this will be a good chance to take a step in the right direction.