Well, Manchester City
Dream goal out of nowhere disillusioned RB Leipzig
October 4, 2023, 10:54 p.m
RB Leipzig takes on what is probably the most difficult task in European club football with great passion – and in the end they are left empty-handed. Defending champion Manchester City strikes shortly before the end of the Champions League duel, a world champion makes the difference.
Revenge failed, series broken: RB Leipzig missed making amends for the 0-7 debacle against Manchester City and lost 1-3 (0-1) at home to the English champions for the first time in the Champions League. Lois Openda (48th minute) gave the 45,228 fans hope for a point with his equalizer despite the clear inferiority, but world champion Julian Alvarez (84th) and Jeremy Doku (90th + 2) deservedly shot the defending champion to victory. Phil Foden (25th) had previously given City the first lead. At the third attempt, star coach Pep Guardiola’s team won in Leipzig for the first time. This leaves RB with three points after two games. The next opponent will be former European Cup winners Red Star Belgrade at home on October 25th.
Making amends was the order of the day at RB. Coach Marco Rose had not forgotten the bitter defeat in March in the round of 16. But all good intentions were quickly lost. The defending champions quickly showed RB their limits in the first half, unleashed constant pressure and hardly allowed Leipzig’s game to develop. In the meantime, the English had more than 80 percent possession of the ball. The Saxons, who had recently impressed in the 2-2 draw against Bayern, barely got into the duels. Man City was always one step faster.
Accordingly, the game rolled almost entirely in one direction in the first half. Only the exploitation of opportunities may have annoyed the meticulous star coach Pep Guardiola. In the 14th minute it was the Portuguese Bernardo Silva, who unexpectedly returned to the team, who failed to hit the ball properly from point-blank range. Then Foden put the ball next to the goal (19th).
Rico Lewis shows his class
This couldn’t go well for long – and it didn’t go well either. After a one-two with Silva, the 18-year-old Rico Lewis still had an eye for Foden, who scored with a placed touchdown. Guardiola showed a good hand by bringing in his youngster. Lewis, who represented the still-injured superstar Kevin De Bruyne well in midfield, was involved in several successful actions.
Rose was less successful with his personnel decision. New signing Nicolas Seiwald, who had barely played so far and came into the team for playmaker Kevin Kampl, came too late to concede the goal. Goal scorer Erling Haaland had a good chance shortly before the break, but he was a long way from his goal gala six months ago. The Norwegian didn’t have too many actions.
“You should be braver. You have nothing left to lose. You have to challenge them, that can only be done through duels and emotionality,” said DAZN expert Michael Ballack at the break and was not disappointed by the Leipzig team. Suddenly the Bundesliga team was more active, more grippy and more lively. And with the first successful action the equalizer was achieved. After Poulsen’s pass, Openda was free through. The Belgian shook off ex-Dortmunder Manuel Akanji and deliberately hit the far corner.
But the English immediately shifted up a gear – and had some top-class chances. First Haaland failed from close range (57th), then Foden hit the crossbar with a free kick (63rd). The pressure should pay off. The Argentinian Alvarez, who had recently been substituted, scored a dream goal out of nowhere, and Doku made everything clear on a counterattack.