{"id":298992,"date":"2023-11-28T23:25:58","date_gmt":"2023-11-28T23:25:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/?p=298992"},"modified":"2023-11-28T23:25:58","modified_gmt":"2023-11-28T23:25:58","slug":"man-city-top-their-champions-league-group-for-a-seventh-year-in-a-row","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/soccer\/man-city-top-their-champions-league-group-for-a-seventh-year-in-a-row\/","title":{"rendered":"Man City top their Champions League group for a SEVENTH year in a row"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Man City 3-2 RB Leipzig: Holders survive scare after going in 2-0 down at half-time as Julian Alvarez completes comeback to ensure Pep Guardiola&#8217;s side top their Champions League group for a seventh straight year\u00a0<\/h1>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u00a0Manchester City went 2-0 after\u00a0Lois Openda bagged a first half brace<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>However, Haaland, Foden and Alvare all found the net in the second half\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Why it&#8217;s NEVER OK to cheer in the press box (even if England win the World Cup!) &#8211; Listen here to\u00a0It&#8217;s All Kicking Off\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>An Australian in north London would have tittered. Tottenham might well have been fancying this at the weekend after all. At one stage, anyway.<\/p>\n<p>He used to be of this stable, Ange Postecoglou, managing Manchester City\u2019s Japanese sister club for a few years. So he\u2019s seen City countless times but, sat on his couch, will not have witnessed many displays worse than this. Cause for optimism.<\/p>\n<p>City looked like a team who had already qualified for the Champions League knockout stages &#8211; and that is not a criticism that can often be levelled at a relentless Pep Guardiola side. Loose, lax, occasionally lazy.<\/p>\n<p>The Rodri impersonator won\u2019t be asked back for a second gig. Ruben Dias has grown his hair so being 100 per cent certain it was definitely him out there proved difficult.<\/p>\n<p>But then they woke up, they sorted a two-goal deficit, and made sure that they would go beyond Christmas as group winners, in theory securing a more comfortable last-16 tie. They preserved their long unbeaten home record in the Champions League of almost 1,900 days. They even won it at the end via Julian Alvarez.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/28\/22\/78345559-12802099-image-a-30_1701208844373.jpg\" height=\"443\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Manchester City top their Champions League group for a SEVENTH year in a row<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/28\/22\/78345631-12802099-image-a-31_1701209047303.jpg\" height=\"415\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Tottenham might well have been fancying this at the weekend after all. At one stage, anyway<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/28\/22\/78345687-12802099-image-a-33_1701209099767.jpg\" height=\"435\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Lois Openda opened the scoring for RB Leipzig in the 13th minute of the game on Tuesday<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/28\/22\/78345689-12802099-image-a-32_1701209097580.jpg\" height=\"435\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The 23-year-old extended Leipzig&#8217;s lead in the 33rd minute of the game, much to City&#8217;s shock<\/p>\n<p>Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n<p>But worries will exist for Guardiola. This was not his City for lengthy spells. Maybe it\u2019ll be good in the long run that the performance happened on a night when defeat would not have been disastrous, more an inconvenience.<\/p>\n<p>On a day when new celebrated old around these parts, the game at the end of it felt more Kevin Keegan than Joe Mercer for a fair chunk.<\/p>\n<p>Mike Summerbee has enjoyed shorter days, although the length of this one eventually looked worth it. He was down at the stadium just before 9am to witness the unveiling of his permanent tribute, flanked by Colin Bell and Francis Lee. Up in the directors\u2019 box for 8pm.<\/p>\n<p>Summerbee was overwhelmed by the morning occasion, before a commemorative brunch inside. \u2018Unbelievable,\u2019 he said, which also aptly described Manuel Akanji\u2019s defending when RB Leipzig took a shock lead much later on.<\/p>\n<p>Akanji, all over the place from goalkeeper Janis Blaswich\u2019s long punt forward, allowed Lois Openda to wriggle free and calmly sidefoot beyond Ederson\u2019s deputy, Stefan Ortega. The lively Xavi Simons had already curled wide by the time Openda was giving the visitors a 13th-minute advantage.<\/p>\n<p>Openda is one of Belgium\u2019s great new hopes, the striker attracting attention across Europe after his summer move to Germany. The country\u2019s other major prospect, Jeremy Doku, was sat on the bench watching his compatriot tear City apart. His act would come later.<\/p>\n<p>One became two shortly after the half hour and again City were to blame. Lured into a challenge he would never win on halfway, Dias allowed Openda to skip towards the City box again. Taking his time, he eased aside Josko Gvardiol\u2019s advances and tucked home.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/28\/22\/78345851-12802099-image-a-34_1701209208966.jpg\" height=\"432\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Pep Guardiola was furious with his team and half-time couldn&#8217;t have come sooner for City<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/28\/22\/78345907-12802099-image-a-36_1701209277382.jpg\" height=\"442\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>However, things improved in the second half and Haaland found the back of the net for City\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/28\/22\/78345919-12802099-image-a-37_1701209320279.jpg\" height=\"373\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Foden equalised for City with a beautifully taken goal in the 70th minute of the game<\/p>\n<p>Either side of that, Rico Lewis and Erling Haaland blazed presentable opportunities over the bar. Dias missed a sitter from Bernardo Silva\u2019s freekick. It had supposed to be a celebration of City\u2019s past as the present rolled on effortlessly but Leipzig \u2013 fifth in the Bundesliga \u2013 were catching the defending champions cold.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Dad would be mortified about having a statue out the front,\u2019 Jon Bell, son of the club\u2019s greatest ever had said. He\u2019s no longer with us, Bell, passing away almost three years ago. Neither is Lee after the forward and ex-chairman died last month. That neither were outside the main stand to bask in the bronze glory hit Summerbee hard.<\/p>\n<h3>MATCH FACTS<\/h3>\n<p>Manchester City&#8217;s starting XI: Ortega Moreno, Walker (C), Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, Lewis, Bernardo, Foden, Grealish, Haaland.<\/p>\n<p>Substitues: Ederson, Carson, Phillips, Stones, Ake, Doku, Alvarez, Gomez, Bobb.<\/p>\n<p>RB Leipzig starting XI: Blaswich, Simakan, Haidara, Forsberg, Seiwald, Klostermann, Openda, Simons, Raum, Lukeba, X. Schlager.<\/p>\n<p>Substitues: Gulasci, Lenz, Pulsen, Baumgartner, Carvalho, Sesko, Henrichs, Kampl.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Deep down he\u2019d be proud,\u2019 Bell Jnr said. \u2018He wouldn\u2019t necessarily show it. This invites kids to ask about that team, to ask about the history and where we came from. And then they can enjoy Haaland, (Kevin) De Bruyne and the future.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>There was very little enjoyment for them here. Defensive mistakes, big misses and an agitated manager.<\/p>\n<p>Dias, who should have seen red just before the break, was sacrificed for his own good. Doku and Alvarez were sent for nine minutes into the second half and seconds later, Haaland was reducing the arrears.<\/p>\n<p>Phil Foden\u2019s first positive contribution of the night, slipping Haaland through, came from clever work by Alvarez. The Haaland finish: typically sublime. The substitutions had livened up the Etihad. Doku\u2019s unpredictability and desire to entertain provokes reactions. City inched closer, Nathan Ake heading wide Alvarez\u2019s cross.<\/p>\n<p>With 20 minutes remaining, they were level and Foden growing into this game was the catalyst for the comeback. Gvardiol progressed forward, punching into the academy graduate on the half-turn just outside the box. One touch to set himself as he pirouetted, another to push ahead and the third caressed into the corner.<\/p>\n<p>Only one winner from there, right? Perhaps not, had Liverpool loanee Fabio Carvalho held his run that little longer, Leipzig would have been in a position to snatch it. Comeback complete though, with three minutes to spare, as Foden\u2019s involvement again sparked confusion for Leipzig, Alvarez sorting his feet and thrashing in.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/28\/22\/78345935-12802099-image-a-39_1701209384771.jpg\" height=\"393\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>But, it was\u00a0Alvarez who found the back of the net to secure all three points for Man City\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/28\/22\/78345939-12802099-image-a-38_1701209368407.jpg\" height=\"425\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>As a result, Manchester City have topped their Champions League group for a seventh time<\/p>\n<h3>IT&#8217;S ALL KICKING OFF!\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p><span><span>It&#8217;s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span>It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/article-12802099\/Manchester-City-Champions-League-group-SEVENTH-year-row-coming-beat-RB-Leipzig-thanks-goals-Erling-Haaland-Phil-Foden-Julian-Alvarez.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Man City 3-2 RB Leipzig: Holders survive scare after going in 2-0 down at half-time as Julian Alvarez completes comeback [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":298991,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - 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