Man City player ratings v RB Leipzig: Two score 8/10 but one earns 3/10 in comeback win - gallery

Manchester City came from two goals down to grab an important 3-2 win against RB Leipzig on Tuesday night, a result that ensures the European champions will top Group G in the Champions League.

City only needed a draw at the Etihad to secure top spot, but at the break that looked unlikely as an out-of-sorts performance meant they trailed by two goals. A second-half comeback changed that, with Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez scoring.

It was the visitors who started on top, with Xavi Simons dragging a shot wide after five minutes, not long before Lois Openda grabbed the game’s first goal.

Manuel Akanji failed to deal with a long ball downfield from goalkeeper Janis Blaswich, which allowed Openda to advance into the City half and slot the ball into the back of the net, just as he did in the reverse meeting last month.

City were lacking their usual swagger and penetration, while there were more misplaced passes than Etihad regulars are used to. They did create scoring opportunities with a Ruben Dias header and a Rico Lewis shot - the efforts were within 12 yards of the goal, yet neither hit the target. Even Haaland fired over from inside the box, but by this stage City were two down.

For the second time on the night, Openda rolled a City centre-back - this time Dias - before sprinting into the City half, bypassing Josko Gvardiol and finishing past Stefan Ortega. 

If anything, City’s levels dropped further after that goal, with the hosts struggling to create openings to showcase their usual passing rhythm. Dias should even have been sent after escaping a second booking, while Haaland spurned a header from a pinpoint cross to end City’s worst 45 minute-showing of the season.

But Pep Guardiola’s side improved vastly after the break, thanks in part to the introduction of three substitutes, with Jeremy Doku having the biggest impact on the left wing. It was Foden, though, who provided that spark of magic.

Frst, his pass in behind the Leipzig defence set Haaland free and the Norwegian quickly shifted his body shape before he stroked the ball past Blaswich. In the 70th minute, it was Foden who this time finished, after his quick feet saw him bypass Mohamed Simakan and then place the ball through the legs of Lukas Klostermann and into the opposition goal.

Leipzig offered little at the other end, but did see a Fabio Carvalho goal chalked off as the on-loan Liverpool midfielder was offside in the build-up.

With Doku running riot in the wide areas, a third seemed likely, and it was no surprise the winner came after the Belgian jinked his way down the line and centred the ball. Foden took a touch and then drilled it across goal, with Alvarez firing home to complete the comeback.

Here's how we rated City's players...