Riyad Mahrez put City into the lead just before the half-hour, netting a dominant opening from the Premier League champions.( RB Leipzig V. Man City Score, Highlights From Champions League As Guardiol Cancels Mahrez Strike)
But Leipzig emerged with fresh purpose after the break and halftime substitute Benjamin Henriques went close twice before Croatia defender Guardiola turned Marcel Halstenberg’s cross over as City were caught snoozing from a short corner. The Champions League last 16 has not been a good one for Premier League teams so far, with Tottenham and Chelsea losing 1-0 at home against AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund respectively, before Real Madrid thrashed Liverpool 5-2 at Anfield. was defeated by
RB Leipzig v. Manchester City Score
Table of Contents
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| RBL | 0 | 1 | — |
| MCI | 1 | 0 | — |
RBL – Josco Guardiol (Marcel Halstenberg) – minute 70.
City looked sure to break that losing streak as they played with full possession in the first half. Guardiola sent out a more traditional back four than he has fielded in recent weeks, but in practice, Kyle Walker played almost as a right winger in possession and was an unpredictable threat that Leipzig could not handle.
The result of Walker’s appointment was that Mahrez was allowed to work up the pitch, much closer to center forward Erling Haaland, and goals were his reward for occupying these positions. Jack Grealish stole a loose pass from Xaver Schlager and found Ilkay Gundogan, whose clever healing took Guardiol out of play and left Mahrez to shoot in for his 12th of the season.
The city could no longer dominate, with Rodri’s header clearing Haaland’s header before curling the impressive Grealish around the top corner.
Marco Rose’s decision to bring on Henriques at half-time gave Leipzig extra offensive momentum and he headed in on goal before drilling a superb chance just behind the post.
Ederson had to make a great save from Andre Silva and Timo Werner’s cross had to be cleared by Emil Forsberg.
Haaland scored late in the half with a sight of goal when he fired wide from a tight angle on the end of a through ball from Grealish, but the man he passed to on that occasion, Guardiol, scored after Willing Ederson at the other end. Did. Deflects Dominik Soboszlai’s shot over the bar.
Why Didn’t Pep Guardiola Make A Substitution Against RB Leipzig?
Guardiola became the first manager not to make any substitutions in a Champions League match since Jose Mourinho left a Manchester United replacement in a tracksuit against Juventus in 2018. As transformative as Henrik had been on the game, it was a bit disappointing to watch. Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez went out in the cold, with City lacking creative drive, especially with Kevin De Bruyne absent through injury. In turn, Haaland showed a disappointed figure.
But Guardiola will probably point out that he and his team are playing from the position, and with some justification. The City manager has explained his reluctance to use a substitute in the first few matches as he is happy with his team’s pace and overall pattern of play. Leipzig’s equalizer came after a flurry of pressure and the city has previously fallen in Europe in two or three such situations. Had Foden or Alvarez been released to chase the game, it would have raised the risk of a replay of such a scenario and there would have been no need for the second leg to come to Manchester.
Should VAR Have Awarded A Penalty To Manchester City?
Henriques certainly put on an action-packed performance that changed the whole feel of the contest. But he became a threat to his own team, at first appearing like a good defensive volleyball move before cutting Gundogan’s back for a yellow card when Rodri headed a stoppage-time corner to score. . No penalty was awarded and, at first, it appeared that the VAR had not been checked (although Guardiola said after the game that a check had been carried out). Maybe they all wanted to go home at that point. Leipzig was the better team after half-time and deserved a share of the spoils, but Henriques certainly escaped it.
Ederson Reminds Pep Guardiola Of His Quality
Ederson has been Manchester City’s undisputed No.1 since arriving from Benfica in 2017 and is arguably Guardiola’s most important signing during his spell at the Etihad Stadium. But there were some whispers going into this game, however quiet, that the time might be right to give impressive backup Stefan Ortega a chance. In their last four Premier League games, City has conceded since their first shot on goal. There are no absolute Ederson haulers in that sample size, but his save percentage and xGA numbers in 2022/23 are not good.
As Leipzig took the lead after the break, he pulled off three fine saves from Andre Silva, Timo Werner, and Dominik Soboszlai. Leipzig scored immediately after the last shot was deflected over the crossbar. Ederson definitely outplayed his defense. Level security was obtained.
