Manchester City 3-2 RB Leipzig: Julian Alvarez completes Citizens comeback as Pep Guardiola’s side top group

Manchester City produced a superb second-half performance to recover from being from two goals down and beat RB Leipzig to secure top spot in Champions League Group G.

After a lacklustre start, the introduction of Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku early in the second half changed everything. Phil Foden set up a goal for Erling Haaland before an adroit finish of his own pulled the game level.

After more good work by Foden it was Alvarez that settled the match with three minutes of the game left, as City maintained their perfect record in this year’s competition with a fifth win in a row.

The hosts started slowly in the first half and paid heavily for it. Lois Openda rolled Manuel Akanji to go clean through and score after 13 minutes. Later in the half, he then beat Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol on a long run that he capped with a low drive into the net.

Both sides had already qualified before tonight, so RB Leipzig are assured of second place in the group. They will now host Young Boys on the final match day, while Manchester City face an away trip to Red Star Belgrade.

Can City retain their title? The group stages of the Champions League are only the mildest of muscle flexes for a club of City’s largesse, but even by their dominant standards they’ve made light work of Group G. Another win in Belgrade in a few weeks will make for a clean sweep of six victories.

We’ll know more when the draw starts to evolve, but having finally landed the Big One in June, the sense of pressure to complete the whole project with the Champions League title has now gone. The question now is whether it can become something dynastic.

If they can avoid the sloppiness of the first half today, they’ll take some beating this season. Doku already looks to be an inspired signing, Haaland is never more dangerous than when you start thinking he’s been anonymous, and with young hungry playmakers like Foden and Alvarez flitting in behind, they’re going to create chances by the crate. On top of all that, when it gets going again for real next year, they should be bolstered by the return of Kevin de Bruyne.

In a lively second half, Foden was pivotal to City turning the match around. He released Haaland for the first and eventually found Alvarez for the winner, and in the in between times brought the match level with the classiest of finishes.

Manchester City: Ortega 6; Walker 6, Akanji 5, Dias 5, Gvardiol 6; Rodrigo 6, Lewis 7, Bernardo Silva 6; Foden 8, Haaland 7, Grealish 6

SUBS: Ake 6, Doku 7, Alvarez 7, Gomez 6

RB Leipzig: Blaswich 6; Simakan 6, Klostermann 7, Lukeba, Raum 6; Xavi Simons 7, Haidara 7, Seiwald 6, Schlager 6, Forsberg 6; Openda 7

SUBS: Poulsen 6, Baumgartner 6, Carvalho 7, Sesko 6, Kampl 6

13’ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 0 RB LEIPZIG 1 (OPENDA 13) Well now, Leipzig lead! They’ve earned it so far, and this was so simple. One long punt from Blauswich finds Openda in the City half, who rolls Akanji without touching the ball and is clean through on goal. Openda calmly sidefoots his finish past Ortega, and what a start from the visitors!

33’ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 0 RB LEIPZIG 2 (OPENDA 33) Leipzig double their money, and it’s Openda again! This time he spins Dias in his own half and leaves him there, racing away down the left. He then cuts infield as he reaches the area, cuts across Gvardiol and then drills a low shot past Ortega inside the near post. That’s a great finish, because there was so much to do when the ball was pinged up to him.

54’ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 1 (HAALAND 54) RB LEIPZIG 2 They’re back in it! Foden spins into the final third and flicks a lovely ball through to Haaland, who is in behind both centre backs. He only needs one look and disaptches the ball into the bottom corner past a static Blaswich. Game on!

70’ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2 (FODEN 70) RB LEIPZIG 2 We’re level! What a gorgeous finish this is. Gvardiol finds Foden with a zipped pass into the penalty area. Foden lets the ball beat Simakan, before passing a cool shot through the legs of Klostermann and past Blaswich.

87’ GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 3 (ALVAREZ 87) RB LEIPZIG 2 The comeback is complete! Doku fizzes a ball low into Foden, who cushions it superbly on the run. Foden then drills it into the middle to Alvarez via a slight deflection. Alvarez sets himself, and whips a low shot into the bottom corner.