Manchester City 3-2 RB Leipzig (Nov 28, 2023) Game Analysis – ESPN

Manchester City‘s Julian Alvarez scored in the 87th minute as the European champions clawed their way back from two goals down to beat RB Leipzig 3-2 and clinch top spot in Champions League Group G on Tuesday with one match remaining.

Erling Haaland‘s goal, which started the comeback, saw him displace Ruud van Nistelrooy as the fastest player to 40 Champions League goals (35 games), as well as contemporary rival Kylian Mbappé‘s record for the youngest player to reach 40 goals in the competition. 

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Phil Foden also netted in the second period after one of City’s most underwhelming recent first half performances to give Pep Guardiola’s team 15 points after five games. Leipzig, who had also reached the last 16 before kickoff, have nine.

Loïs Openda pounced on a pair of City defensive blunders for both Leipzig goals, sprinting onto a long ball from goalkeeper Janis Blaswich that bounced over a lackadaisical Manuel Akanji in the 13th minute. He struck again with seemingly similar ease in the 33rd, spinning around Ruben Dias en route to scoring.

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Haaland, who poured in five goals against Leipzig in a 7-0 rout in the Champions League last 16 in March, finally gave City fans something to cheer about in the 54th minute when he ran onto a pass from Foden and struck a low left-foot shot. 

City drew level with Foden’s excellent first touch and finish in the 70th and Alvarez fired City ahead when Foden’s pass was deflected into his path for a close-range effort.