Leipzig 1 Man City 3: Alvarez stunner saves Haaland's blushes with talisman's night littered with missed chances
MANCHESTER CITY’S journey to East Germany was badly disrupted on Tuesday by storms over Saxony.
But the road to the knock-out stages looks likely to be much more straight-forward for the holders.
Julian Alvarez climbed off the bench to score a delicious late winner for Pep Guardiola’s men against their regular Champions League foes.
Just five minutes after replacing the other scorer Phil Foden, the Argentine collected a pass from Jeremy Doku before curling in a beauty from the edge of the box.
The World Cup winner then returned the favour in stoppage time – sending Doku away to put the result beyond doubt.
His fellow forward Erling Haaland owes both of them a big thank you.
For once against his favourite opponents, the Norwegian had a night to forget – wasting a catalogue of chances which could have proved costly.
But instead the treble winners have maximum points from two matches and their toughest game of the group stage is out of the way.
City have lift off in the defence of the crown they won in June.
This is the third successive season these two teams have met in this competition.
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When they faced each other here in the last 16 in February, Red Bull earned a draw thanks to a second half goal from Josko Gvardiol.
The Croatian World Cup star joined City for £77 million in the summer and was given a special farewell from his old club before kick-off.
He would probably rather forget the second leg in Manchester – when Erling Haaland scored five in a 7-0 rout.
The Norwegian loves playing against these opponents – and has 11 goals in just six appearances.
That’s more than the 23-year-old has against any other opponent.
It was spring 2018 last time City lost three games in a row – but were facing upto that prospect here after defeats at Newcastle and Wolves.
The manager admitted before the game it had ‘hurt’ his team – but that’s the way he likes it as it makes them want to start winning all over again.
Guardiola sprang something of a surprise in his team selection by playing youngster Rico Lewis as a midfielder alongside Rodri.
That meant Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes and Kalvin Phillips – who cost around £125 million between them – were all on the bench.
But it seemed to work a treat as he helped his team completely boss the opening exchanges - and was even involved in their first big chance.
His shot was blocked and Foden followed in with an effort – but Bernardo Silva who was almost stood on the post somehow failed to turn the ball home.
Foden then weaved his way through a couple of defenders but sliced his effort well wide.
Perhaps their failure to turn their obvious superiority into goals was frustrating Guardiola who seemed more animated than usual on the sidelines.
Yet it was fair to say a goal was coming for the visitors and when it arrived it was made at the City Football Academy.
Lewis swapped passes with Bernardo Silva before pulling back for Foden whose shot into the ground looped over Janis Blaswich.
Two of young players City have brought up through their ranks linked up beautifully for a special goal.
It was Foden’s 11th goal in the competition and there are surely many more to come.
Another boyhood City fan – Haaland – tried to get in the act as he got in behind the home defence but uncharacteristically poked his effort across goal and wide.
And the Norwegian went for goal again from a narrow angle just before the break but fired straight at Blaswich when he might have looked to square it.
Just like in the clash in February, City had been so much on top but had not put the game to bed.
And they paid the price within four minutes of the re-start as Jack Grealish gave the ball away and Red Bull launched a counter.
Yussuf Poulsen played a ball through to Lois Openda who shrugged off Manuel Akanji before slotting a shot under Ederson and in off the post.
No wonder Guardiola had his head in his hands – that was the home side’s first real effort of the night and they were level.
City knew they had a game on their hands now but missed the chance to regain the lead as Foden fizzed over a low cross that Haaland could not convert.
The England man was definitely in the mood though and his delightful free-kick from a narrow angle almost caught out Blaswich as it crashed against the underside of the bar.
Meanwhile Haaland was having one of those nights where it just wouldn’t go in as Blaswich dived full stretch to keep out his low shot.
Another effort was blazed over the bar by the £51 million man after good work by Lewis. At the very least he should have had the match ball.
Alvarez struck a beauty and then with Leipzig searching for an equaliser sent another sub Doku away to score.
