Champions League: Borussia Dortmund VS Manchester City: Pep Guardiola's men secure top spot in the table with a goalless draw

Up against a spirited opposition, who were buoyed by the vociferous support they received from the 'Yellow Wall' at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, City was unable to find a breakthrough – although it wasn't necessarily due to a lack of trying. 

Perhaps their best chance came from a Riyad Mahrez penalty that the Algerian winger won for himself. However, Mahrez from the spot is an enigma, and there was always a sense of worry when he stepped up. 

Sure enough, his relatively tame penalty was swatted away by Dortmund's goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. And Pep Guardiola, who's seen his side miss a lot of penalties, was not impressed. 

"Since I got here I don't know how many millions of penalties we have missed. It's a big problem. Riyad will reflect, and he will practice. And for now, he will take a break." 

Another player who was seemingly on autopilot through the night was Erling Haaland. The Norwegian, who's already scored over 20 goals through this season in all competitions, was subdued on his return to the club he called home before joining City. 

He was a muted presence up front, although that might have been due to a bout of flu he was suffering. He was eventually withdrawn as a precautionary measure due to a slight knock. 

"(There were) three things (reasons why Haaland was taken off). I saw him so tired. The second one, he had a little bit of influenza. Like Joao (Cancelo) - Joao had a fever,” said Guardiola. 

"Then, the third, he had a knock in his foot. That's why he was not able to play in the second half.

"I spoke with [the medical staff] at half-time and they were a little bit concerned, but I saw him walking more or less normally. We will see (how serious the injury is)."

The City was dominant in possession but lacked the intensity and penetration that typically defines their style of play. 

Was this down to the fact that they already qualified for the last 16? Or did the Yellow Wall of Dortmund fans do enough to disrupt the usually slick City machine? 

Perhaps it was a bit of both, but the result of this match still favoured City – they sealed the top spot in the group, essentially guaranteeing themselves a slightly easier draw in the knockouts. 

Dortmund is also in second place; third-place Sevilla is currently three points behind but has a poor goal difference, meaning they are unlikely to overhaul Dortmund even if the German side loses their final match. 

Having sealed their spot in the last 16, City will turn their focus back to catching Arsenal in the Premier League when they take on Leicester City this weekend. 

On the other hand, Dortmund will take on Eintracht Frankfurt when they resume domestic duties this weekend.