City survive Leipzig fightback as Haaland grabs late winner

Manchester City secured a Champions League victory over RB Leipzig with a last-minute goal from Erling Haaland, marking a strong comeback after a brief slump. The Norwegian striker netted the decisive 78th-minute winner, sealing a 3-2 triumph for City.

City had started the season exceptionally well but suffered two consecutive Premier League losses, including a penalty shootout defeat to Brighton, as well as a narrow 3-2 loss to Leipzig. The visiting side twice took the lead through own goals from Luke Baquino and a header from Enzo Fernandez, only to see those leads erased by goals from Ridle Baku and Antonio Nusa.

Despite Haaland's prolific form against Leipzig, he struggled to find the back of the net, but he was on hand to convert an Elliot Anderson cross for the winning goal. Haaland has now scored 13 goals in nine matches against Leipzig, including a remarkable five-goal performance in a 7-0 win in March 2023.

Leipzig, currently rebuilding under new coach Martin Demichelis, were impressive in their efforts, with Antonio Nusa's standout performance being the highlight. Haaland's teammate Nusa scored crucial goals for Leipzig, while Haaland now boasts six goals and seven assists in 14 matches for the Norwegian side this season as they aim to replace Yan Diomande, who joined Real Madrid in the summer.

City traveled to Germany having lost two Premier League games in a row for the first time since August 2025, while Leipzig had won just one of their previous three Champions League matches but were dominant at home, winning all five of their matches and scoring 19 goals without conceding any.