Man City can steal Premier League advantage by beating Borussia Dortmund in Champions League

After a weekend off due to the postponement of all football fixtures across the United Kingdom, Manchester City will return to action on Wednesday when they take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

City got their group stage campaign off to the ideal start last week by recording a thumping 4-0 win away at Sevilla, theoretically the second strongest side in Group G. The manner of City's win - the ease with which they controlled proceedings and created chances - can be regarded as a statement of intent, a sure sign to the other top sides in the competition that City are not lacking confidence despite last season's traumatic semi-final exit.

Getting off to a good start is important in any competition; while it does not guarantee success by the end of the campaign, it builds momentum and allows confidence to swell. City will look to build on that at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday; if they do so then they will be in a strong position to wrap up top spot in the group before the final match. More so than any previous season, that could be mightily important.

READ MORE: Man City have unusual Champions League advantage vs Borussia Dortmund

As we all know, this season is going to be unlike any other. While footballers have become accustomed to packed fixture schedules with little time for recovery, the demands of playing at a World Cup mid-season are another thing entirely.

By the time the Premier League pauses in mid-November and many of City's players fly off to Qatar, the Blues will have played 15 of their 38 Premier League matches (it would have been 16 if Saturday's home game against Spurs had taken place).

Who knows what kind of state City's stars will be in when they return from international duty, so the