RB Leipzig 1-1 Manchester City: Josko Gvardiol header gives Germans first leg draw against Pep Guardiola's side
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Updated 23/02/2023 at 09:53 GMT
A tight first leg between RB Leipzig and Manchester City ended level in Germany in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday. City had taken the lead through Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez but a towering header in the second-half from Josko Gvardiol ensured that Marco Rose’s side took a draw from the first leg of the tie and gave themselves a great chance of knocking out their opponents.
'They are quicker & better than us' - Guardiola after 1-1 draw with Leipzig
Riyad Mahrez was on target but Manchester City were again made to pay for failing to make their dominance count as RB Leipzig fought back to claim a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Last-16 Champions League tie.
The reigning Premier League champions were utterly dominant throughout the first period at the Red Bull Arena and deservedly went in ahead at the interval.
A mistake by Xaver Schlager allowed Jack Grealish and Ilkay Gundogan to combine and set up Riyad Mahrez to clinically fire home on 27 minutes.
It was the Algerian’s 20th goal in the competition overall and his 12th of what is turning into a highly productive campaign for the 32-year-old.
Leipzig improved dramatically in the second half and should have levelled when substitute Benjamin Henrichs rolled a gilt-edged opportunity just wide on 55 minutes.
Ederson then denied Andre Gomes from a narrow angle before the peripheral Erling Haaland dragged a good chance wide for the visitors.
Die Roten Bullen continued to cause problems and levelled 20 minutes from time when Josko Gvardiol headed home a left-wing cross.
Guardiola will again be frustrated that his side’s overall dominance did not get the reward they deserved following a similar outcome at Nottingham Forest at the weekend, but he will be quietly confident his team will complete the job in the second leg of this tie on March 14.
The Citizens will now look to get their Premier League title tilt back on track at Bournemouth on Saturday evening, while Leipzig host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
Talking point
Frustration for City but they remain favourites to progress. It was a case of déjà vu for Guardiola as his team once again failed to make the most of an imperious first-half showing. They were pegged back in the Premier League at the City Ground just four days earlier, and it happened again here.
So, is it cause for concern and why do they continue to struggle to find and get the best out of Haaland – a man brought in to be the final piece in the Champions League jigsaw?
In fairness, RB Leipzig are a solid side and there was a stark contrast in how they performed following the break. RBL’s coach Marco Rose had claimed he wanted his team to be brave and not hide in his pre-match comments, and he clearly read the riot act at the interval as they returned early for the second half and were a different team.
The Citizens will feel they could have been in a tie-winning position had they built upon their dominance, but they remain a major force on home turf and the quest for the holy grail of a first CL title is still well and truly on.
Player of the match
Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig). The 21-year-old is regarded by many as the finest young defender on the planet and he lived up to his billing again here. The Croatia international kept Haaland quiet throughout and then demonstrated his prowess in the opposition penalty area with a gigantic leap to earn his team a draw.
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LEIPZIG, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 22: Josko Gvardiol of RB Leipzig scores the team's first goal past Ederson of Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 leg one match between RB Leipzig and Manchester City at Red Bull Arena on February 22, 2
Image credit: Getty Images
Player Ratings
RB LEIPZIG: Blaswich 7, Klostermann 6, Orban 7, Gvardiol 8, Halstenberg 6, Laimer 6, Schlager 5, Szoboszlai 7, Forsberg 6, Silva 7, Werner 7. Subs: Henrichs 8, Nkunku 6, Poulsen n/a, Haidara n/a, Raum n/a.
MAN CITY: Ederson 7, Walker 7, Dias 7, Akanji 7, Ake 7, Gundogan 7, Silva 7, Rodri 7, Grealish 7, Mahrez 7, Haaland 5.
Match Highlights
27’ – GOAL! – RB Leipzig 0-1 Man City. Gundogan dummies a Grealish pass, allowing Mahrez to swoop in and lash a fine finish beyond the keeper. It all came after Leipzig’s Schlager gave it away deep inside their own half.
50’ – MAN CITY CHANCE! Gundogan scampers free down the left and picks out Mahrez from the byline, but the Algerian's goal-bound shot is well blocked inside the six-yard box.
55’ – RB LEIPZIG CHANCE! Henrichs guides a low shot just wide of the far post after he was played into acres of space on the right side of the area.
63’ – RB LEIPZIG CHANCE! Andre Silva bamboozles Akanji on the left side of the area but can't flick a shot beyond the advancing Ederson from a narrow angle.
70’ – GOAL! – RB Leipzig 1-1 Man City. Joško Gvardiol climbs highest to power a header home from a left-wing delivery.
74’ – MAN CITY CHANCE! Blaswich sticks out a big left hand to keep out Gundogan's first-time effort from 15 yards out.
90+2’ – MAN CITY PENALTY SHOUT! The visitors earn a last-gasp corner on the right. It’s worked short and eventually delivered by Mahrez. There are lots of bodies in there and it appears to hit Henrichs on the hand! City scream for a penalty but the referee waves away the appeals and there’s no sign of a VAR check…
Key Stats
Mahrez is the fifth African player to score 20 Champions League goals, after Mohamed Salah (44), Didier Drogba (44), Samuel Eto'o (30) and Sadio Mané (27).
Gvardiol made 89 touches in this match, the most by a player in a Champions League game against Manchester City this season, scoring the equaliser in his only touch in the opposition penalty area.
Manchester City had 74 per cent possession and a passing accuracy of 94.6 per cent in the first half, while only facing one shot. In the second half they had 49.2 per cent possession and a passing accuracy of 84.7 per cent, facing six shots.
City didn't make a substitute in tonight's 1-1 draw with RB Leipzig, becoming the first team to make no subs in a Champions League game since Manchester United in October 2018 against Juventus.
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