A late goal from Erling Haaland sealed a 3-2 home defeat for RB Leipzig against Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday. The Saxons fought back twice from a deficit before the Norwegian striker secured the win for the visitors in the 78th minute.
The match was a rollercoaster. Manchester City dominated the early stages and took the lead in the 37th minute through an own goal by Castello Junior Lukeba. Leipzig improved after the break and equalised just four minutes after the restart. Ridle Baku scored from a Brajan Gruda assist to make it 1-1. The joy was short-lived, as Enzo Fernández restored the English side's lead in the 58th minute.
RB Leipzig's response was immediate. Just three minutes later, in the 61st minute, Antonio Nusa netted the equaliser for 2-2. Christopher Nkunku, who had just come on for Christoph Baumgartner, provided the assist. Manager Martín Demichelis said after the match, "The team showed tremendous character and never gave up. We played against an absolute world-class team and were in the game until the end."
However, the greater experience and composure of the guests paid off in the closing stages. After several changes on Leipzig's side, City capitalised on a lapse. Elliot Anderson played the ball into the box, where Haaland scored from close range. Enzo Maresca's team kept control in the final minutes to secure the three points. The statistics reflected English dominance with 64 percent possession and an expected goals figure of 2.26.
The defeat is a setback in Europe but does not change their strong domestic standing. RB Leipzig are fourth in the Bundesliga standings with 15 points from eight games, just three points behind the leaders. Top scorer Christopher Nkunku has already netted four goals in six appearances this season. Focus now turns to the league. On Saturday, RB Leipzig host FC Augsburg at the Red Bull Arena. Demichelis's team will aim to continue their positive home record against the tenth-placed side and extend a run of three wins in their last five competitive matches. Kick-off is at 15:30 local time.
Christoph Baumgartner returned to the starting lineup in the 2-3 defeat to Manchester City, the club confirmed. The midfielder had recently been injured. RB Leipzig is fourth in the Bundesliga with 15 points from eight games. The team has scored 22 league goals and conceded 11.
