Man City in control after RB Leipzig draw despite Guardiola sour taste

Pep Guardiola had insisted prior to this contest he would enjoy the wine, the dinner and the travel. But while he will be pretty pleased with the result as well after a draw gave Manchester City the upper hand goal prior to the return to the Etihad in three weeks. the second-half display at RB Leipzig will have soured the taste a touch.

Leipzig looked bruised after a first half but came back strong to equalise Riyad Mahrez’s opener, Josko Gvardiol making up for an error to level. And while City will fancy their chances from here, it was a wake-up call of sorts.

Leipzig have made it into the knockout stages three times in the last five seasons – their best a semi-final defeat to Paris St Germain in 2019-20. And you certainly could not fault the positive mental attitude in which set out against the favourites with a huge banner stretched across the end to the left which read ‘We’re on our way to Istanbul!’

That may be wishful thinking but once again they proved formidable opponents on home soil. Before this Leipzig had beaten Real Madrid here in October and all three English opponents – Tottenham, Manchester United and City – including City in a dead rubber group stage game they edged 2-1 last season.

Manager Marco Rose set up his side to play deep, stay closely connected and hit City if they could on the counter and while they were under pressure throughout it worked for nearly half an hour. The game plan was shaken by a misplaced pass from Xaver Schlager seized on by Jack Grealish and a mistake from Gvardiol, who let the City winger’s through ball through his legs on the edge of the area.

Ilkay Gundogan was credited with the assist having got a faint touch to help the ball on its way but his role was more distraction. Either way it gave Mahrez the chance to sweep home which he did with goalkeeper Janis Blaswich rooted. The breakhthrough left Leipzig not knowing whether to stick of twist, fearful of chasing too hard lest they lose the tie in 90 minutes.

And it left Guardiola’s men stroking the ball around with considerable confidence. Rodri might have extending the lead but the half finished with Leipzig’s only meaningful attack, Timo Werner forcing a comfortable save from Ederson after cutting on to his right foot from the left side of the area.

It was a suitable footnote to what had been an armchair ride but Leipzig returned with after the break with a little more energy. Substitute Benjamin Henrichs added plenty twice going close with a header then just pulling a golden opportunity wide after being put in on the right by Andre Silva.

It was a wake-up call for City who tried to weather the mini-storm with a spell of possession. Erling Haaland had little to work with up front getting frustrated on his second goalless return in front of a Bundesliga audience following a blank against his former club Dortmund in the group stages.

Leipzig were missing a cutting edge and after seeing Silva have a chipped effort from a tight angle saved by Ederson, Rose gambled on half an hour of Christopher Nkunku. It was Silva who brought about the breakthrough, forcing Ederson to tip a shot at the top corner around his post.

From the subsequent corner Gvardiol rose high above Ruben Dias to head home from six yards out. City were aggrieved the Croatian was climbing on their defender and his hands were on his shoulders but the goal stood.

The visitors, who might have doubled their lead before the goal only for Haaland to pull an effort wide, and regained it after when Gundogan stung the hands of Blaswich low to his left. The final 10 minutes saw both sides resigned to a draw being a decent result to take to the Etihad in three weeks’ time – a result which undoubtedly favours City.