Haaland strikes again as Man City edge Leipzig to end losing run

By Tosin Omojola

Erling Haaland scored the winner as Manchester City returned to winning ways in the Champions League with a hard-fought victory over RB Leipzig in Germany.

The Norwegian striker continued his remarkable goalscoring record against Leipzig, netting his 13th goal in nine appearances against the German side to secure all three points for City.

Having suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League and needed penalties to overcome Brighton in the Carabao Cup, City were eager to get their season back on track.

However, they initially struggled to break down Leipzig’s stubborn defence, with the hosts creating the better chances in the opening exchanges.

Antonio Nusa’s effort from outside the box nearly caught Gianluigi Donnarumma off guard, but landed on the roof of the net, while Christoph Baumgartner curled a shot narrowly wide of the far post.

Despite dominating possession without creating clear-cut opportunities, City took the lead through a defensive error. Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba misjudged Nico O’Reilly’s seemingly harmless cross and inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.

The visitors, however, returned the favour shortly after the restart. Donnarumma failed to adequately protect his near post, allowing Ridle Baku to squeeze the ball past him and restore parity. City regained the advantage in the 57th minute when Enzo Fernandez powered home a superb header, but their lead lasted only three minutes as Nusa fired a brilliant low finish into the net to make it 2-2.

The visitors continued to press forward and eventually found the breakthrough in the 78th minute. Captain Haaland raced onto Elliot Anderson’s low cross and calmly slotted home to seal the victory.

The goal took Haaland’s tally against Leipzig to 13 in nine appearances, further underlining his impressive record against the German club.