Haaland's 77th-minute winner sends Manchester City past RB Leipzig
Erling Haaland scored the winner in the 77th minute as Manchester City beat RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday 4 November. The Guardian's match report credits Elliot Anderson with the pass that set him up.
The game was a Champions League fixture, the competition that brings together the best clubs from across Europe. It was played at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. City had lost their previous match, a defeat to Brighton, so manager Enzo Maresca made four changes to his starting line-up for this one.
The biggest talking point before kick-off was the defence. Ruben Dias was left out, and Abdukodir Khusanov came in at centre-back. Gianluigi Donnarumma was in goal, and Haaland captained the side.
It was not a straightforward evening. City took the lead through an own goal from Castello Lukeba, a defender who turned the ball into his own net. The chance came from a cross by Nico O'Reilly. Leipzig hit back when Ridle Baku equalised, and the game stayed level until the second half. Enzo Fernandez then headed City back in front.
Late on, Rayan Cherki struck the woodwork for City, hitting the post with a shot that could have settled the game sooner. Leipzig kept pushing, and City had to hold on. Haaland then ended the argument in the 77th minute.
Before this meeting, City had a clear edge over Leipzig in head-to-head results in the competition. They had won four matches, Leipzig had won one, and the pair had drawn once. Haaland had also scored 13 goals for City in all competitions ahead of the game, according to live coverage from Yahoo Sports.
Even with that record, Maresca said Haaland still needs help from the people around him. That is a fair way to read the night. A striker can score a winner, but the goal was built on a team move, from the cross that started the chain to the pass that found him.
For Leipzig, the result is a hard one to take after working so hard to level the match. For City, it is three points that keep them in the hunt in Europe's top competition. Haaland's name will be on the scoresheet, but the story is about a side that came back to win.
