RB Leipzig 2-3 Manchester City: result and report

The Pundit picked Manchester City (47%): correct

Report

Manchester City won 3-2 at RB Leipzig. The scoreline looks tight, but the good chances were not shared evenly. Manchester City needed all three goals because RB Leipzig twice pulled level.

Manchester City went ahead on 37 minutes when Castello Lukeba scored an own goal. RB Leipzig answered four minutes after half-time through Ridle Baku, assisted by Brajan Gruda. Enzo Fernández restored the lead on 58 minutes from Iliman Ndiaye's assist, but it lasted only three minutes. Antonio Nusa equalised, set up by substitute Christopher Nkunku. Erling Haaland then scored the winner on 78 minutes, with Elliot Anderson providing the assist.

The bigger story is how many chances Manchester City left unused. They finished with 2.36 xG to RB Leipzig's 1.01 and created five big chances to one. Three of those big chances were missed. As a result, a game that stayed level until the 78th minute could have been settled much earlier.

The rest of the picture supports that reading. Manchester City had 64% of the ball and kept up far more attacking pressure across the match. That only matters here because it turned into the better openings. Both sides also hit the woodwork once, so neither can claim to have been unlucky on that front alone.

RB Leipzig still made a real game of it. They had more shots on target, six to five, and more key passes, 11 to seven. Despite that, they produced only one big chance. That suggests much of their shooting came from less promising positions. Their quick reply to Fernández's goal kept the contest open, though it did not change the balance of chances.