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Manchester City’s Thrilling Late Surge Seals Victory Over Leipzig
Following a goal by Phil Foden of Manchester City early on, Lois Openda’s equalizer for RB Leipzig changed the course of the game. But it was Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku’s late-game heroics that made the difference and allowed City to maintain their perfect record in the Champions League.
In the early going, Manchester City established tight control of possession, and around the 20-minute mark, Rico Lewis found space in the box to present Manchester City with their first significant opportunity. After his shot was blocked, Foden received the rebound. Foden sent a beautiful pass to Bernardo Silva at the far post, but the Portuguese player’s effort was off target, leaving City pining for the lead.
However, their perseverance paid off since the breakthrough eventually happened in minute 25. After executing a deft one-two with Silva, Lewis found Foden in the box, where he calmly finished off his 11th Champions League goal.
While City appeared to be comfortably in control at halftime, RB Leipzig struggled to generate meaningful chances despite being down a goal.
Just after the break, Jack Grealish’s careless pass gave the hosts the opportunity to profit, and the plot took an unexpected turn. It was an amazing turn of events because Openda’s shot into the goal was Leipzig’s first shot on goal while he was fending off a defender.
As the second half progressed, City reacted by increasing their level of effort. Foden’s free-kick struck the crossbar, and Erling Haaland’s shot was stopped by Janis Blaswich.
Alvarez’s switch for Foden by Pep Guardiola in the waning minutes turned out to be a brilliant move. Alvarez was set up by Doku on the outskirts of the area, and the Argentine fired a beautiful chip into the far corner while maintaining his cool.
Doku, who calmly finished after receiving Alvarez’s pass, ended any remaining chances of an RB Leipzig comeback in a sensational late-game performance, securing all three points for the Premier League heavyweights.