At the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit to beat RB Leipzig 3-2. The European champions won Group G of the UEFA Champions League with the comeback victory. Even though they showed determination to recover from a terrible first half, Pep Guardiola still had some worries after the victory.

First half:

The first ten minutes of the game were really quiet. Since they had already qualified for the playoffs, neither team had anything to lose.  Midfield prodigy Xavi Simons got the first good chance for RB Leipzig as he curled a shot just wide of the post. Stefan Ortega was out of position as the ball went wide.

Lois Openda put RB Leipzig ahead in the thirteenth minute, and City ignored the warning. Because of a mistake made by Manuel Akanji, the quick Belgian attacker had a clear run at goal. With a precise finish, Openda gave his team the lead.

Ruben Dias attempted an immediate response for the treble winners, but a free kick from Bernardo Silva went over the bar. After a few minutes, City’s Rico Lewis tried to get an equalizer but missed the target.

In the 33rd minute, the German team took advantage of another breakaway to extend their lead. To increase RB Leipzig’s lead, Lois Openda escaped Ruben Dias, cut inside Josko Gvardiol, and finished neatly to beat Stefan Ortega.

As soon as Rico Lewis played Erling Haaland through on goal, the reigning European champions nearly responded with a shot that went wide. Just before halftime, Haaland had another opportunity, but RB Leipzig goalkeeper Janis Blaswich saved his header.

Ruben Dias was lucky to avoid ejection after fouling Xavi Simons, as he had already been sent off. While RB Leipzig went into halftime ahead by two goals, the referee kept his cards close to his vest.

Second half:

To strengthen City’s defense, Pep Guardiola substituted Nathan Ake for Ruben Dias after halftime. The triple winner’s defense was quickly dismantled upon Ake’s introduction. Jeremy Doku and Julian Alvarez were substituted for Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker, respectively, in the 54th minute, as he made two additional substitutes.

After being played through by Phil Foden, Erling Haaland brilliantly scored, proving that the alterations had the desired impact. With this goal, City’s number nine became the youngest player in UEFA Champions League history to achieve 40 goals, and he did it in record time.

As City pushed for an equalizer, RB Leipzig sat deeper on their bench. But their speed gave them a run for their money on the counter.

In the 70th minute, Phil Foden did manage to score an equalizer for Pep Guardiola’s squad. Thanks to Josko Gvardiol’s pinpoint pass, the midfielder was able to equalize with a swift foot and a pinpoint finish.

Benjamin Sesko, who had a powerful strike saved by Stefan Ortega, was the next player to score for the DFB Pokal winners. In a flurry of activity as both teams sought a winner, Fabio Carvalho had a goal disallowed for offside.

Phil Foden and the energetic Jeremy Doku set up Juluab Alvarez to score Manchester City’s winning goal in the 87th minute. The European champions scored the winning goal to seal their fifth consecutive group stage victory, capping off yet another incredible comeback.

Summary:

The tenacity and determination displayed by Pep Guardiola’s squad allowed them to come back from a 2-0 halftime deficit. Once again, their incredible fighting spirit shone through.

After the game, Pep Guardiola addressed certain issues at the back. Lois Openda made the most of Manchester City’s counter-vulnerability, which occurred again.

It’s a problem that has to be fixed before Sunday’s Etihad encounter against Tottenham.