RB Leipzig started the game courageously, attacked Manchester City early and intensively and was even able to set offensive accents. In the course of the first half, however, the relief for the defensive of the Saxons increasingly failed, bad passes dominated the attacking game of the home side.
The Skyblues were thus able to use their dreaded short passing game, at times had 75 percent possession of the ball and constricted their opponent. RB often courageously defended the attacking waves of the English guests. However, a bad pass from Xaver Schlager then ensured the first goal of the evening. Riyad Mahrez coldly exploited the midfielder’s mistake (27′).
As a result, Leipzig needed something to recover from the blow to the neck, Jack Grealish came up with the next promising chance (36th). In the case of Leipzig, who were too passive, it even took until injury time in the first half before Ederson had to intervene for the first time. Timo Werner’s shot was not dangerous (45th +1).
Like a substitute in the second half
During the half-time break, RB coach Marco Rose made some adjustments and brought in the much more offensive Benjamin Henrichs for Lukas Klostermann. Its acceptance should pay off quickly. Leipzig now acted more actively, more offensively and with more pass security and had two good chances with the new man (53rd & 55th).
RB stayed on the trigger and was now even the better team on the pitch. ManCity was now the team that acted too passively – the alternative to the first half. Josko Gvardiol scored the deserved equalizer in the 70th minute after a corner. It should be the last goal of the evening.
The bottom line is a deserved 1-1: RB was the weaker team in the first half and the better team after the break. ManCity must be accused of having lost the thread in the second half with a few exceptions.
scoring
0-1 Mahrez (27′): A bad pass from Schlager in the build-up game flies in the face of RB. Grealish reacts quickly and puts through to Mahrez. Gündogan takes Gvardiol out of the game, so he can no longer intercept the pass. Standing alone in front of Blaswich, the Algerian is 1-0 from the visitors’ point of view.
1:1 Gvardiol (70th): RB rewarded for a strong second half. Ederson has difficulty parrying a long-range shot from Szoboszlai. The corner that was due is executed briefly and ends in a cross from Halstenberg. Ederson loses track in the penalty area, Gvardiol climbs higher than Dias and heads the ball into the net with force.
The notes for RB Leipzig
From now on orients itself FT when assigning grades according to the internationally accepted scheme and evaluates the players on a scale from 1 to 10.
Substituted
46′ Henrichs (7.8) for Klostermann
66′ Nkunku (6.1) for Forsberg
82′ Haidara for Schlager
82′ Poulsen for Silva
89′ Room for Halstenberg
