Going into the game at the City of Manchester Arena, the focus was on Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland. His search for a big money move away from Germany appears to be slowly focusing in on last night's opponents, Manchester City. They just offloaded a striker and Haaland's father is an alumnus of the team so it makes sense that the story is growing.

However, based on the clutch performance of 20-year-old Phil Foden, the paymasters working for City owner Sheik Manor may be wondering why they should splash out on the Norwegian wunderkind when they have a home grown one, right here, already in the squad.

It's getting difficult to talk about Manchester City. They found their groove months ago and now that's how they play. Besides for the Manchester Derby blip, every game is business as usual: they take possession in their own half then pass and move forwards in tiny, grinding increments until they find space or force the opponent to give it to them.

Although, while the derby was a blip, it was still a loss that shone a slit of light in City's otherwise impenetrable armor. United started on the attack and took the game to City, and City showed they can't play off the back foot.

Dortmund showed no fear and allowed City to do their tiki-taka routine. Then, when they got the chance they would take the ball and press. England's 17-year-old Jude Bellingham and, of course, Erling Haaland didn't care at all who they were up against and challenged Manchester City keeper Ederson repeatedly.

City's defense was often too good at crowding out Dortmund's attack. Marco Reus, deceptively youthful looking at 31, repeatedly looked a touch slow.

This pattern or Dortmund attacking, being blocked and then pulling back as City marched down the pitch was interrupted in the 178h minute when Emre Can mistimed a pass and gave the ball away. Kevin de Bruyne pounced and sprinted, chest heaving, to the box where he laid it on to Phil Foden.

Foden crossed it cleanly across the face of the Dortmund goal. Nobody got onto it, so Riyad Mahrez stopped it from going out and sent it back to the starter, de Bruyne. He slotted it in to make it 1-0.

It was a scarily good goal. The speed at which City moved and the instinctive teamwork added up to inflict a significant blow on Dortmund.

The Germans didn't blink; alas, it didn't matter because referee Ovidiu Hategan did. He made two terrible decisions that severely affected the game: the first was an incorrect penalty call for Manchester City that needed to be overturned by VAR. As with all of those pitch side decisions, it took the air out of the game and ruined the momentum of play.

The second is inexcusable. Not even five minutes later, Ederson mishandles the ball and gives it away to Bellingham. The referee blew for a foul as Bellingham made it 1-1. When viewed in slow motion, it appears as if Hategan saw Ederson drop to the floor hurt after he kicked the Dortmund player and assumed it was a foul the other way. A deserved equalizer was denied by poor refereeing.

In the second half, City returned to the norm, as did Dortmund. What changed was Haaland. He'd been smothered in the first half and seemingly rejigged his gameplan during the half time because he was now much more physical, much more involved.

His recent frustrations have followed him from the Bundesliga to the Champions League as he was sensational, the rest of his team wasn't, and as good as Haaland is, one man alone can't overcome the might of Manchester City.

He didn't give up and was rewarded for it. In the 83rd, he finally got the ball through to Reus on the edge of the City box and he does the FIFA finesse shot around Ederson. It was a worthy 1-1. Then Foden ruined it with 25 seconds to go of standard time. Thomas Meunier missed a clearance and it dropped to Ilkay Gundogan who knew exactly who to pass it on to.

Foden had been involved in every goal threat throughout the game, so it was only apt he got the winner. Post-game, he went over to Haaland and they spoke with their hands covering their mouths to make sure nobody could figure out what was being said. The context, though, makes it clear: "If you want to win anything, Erling, you know what to do."