Man City player ratings gallery vs RB Leipzig - Three score 8/10 as ‘frustrated’ Haaland has off night

Manchester City earned a hard-fought 3-1 win away to RB Leipzig on Wednesday, thanks to late goals from Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku in the Champions League group-stage encounter.

It was a game City controlled for long spells and took the lead via a Phil Foden strike, yet were still level with just seven minutes remaining in Germany, after Lois Openda equalised in the opening moments of the second period. But the late strikes ensured City took all three points, and bounced back from last weekend's loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

City dominated the opening period and created a number of early chances at the Red Bull Arena, with Rico Lewis seeing a powerful shot blocked en route to goal, while Bernardo Silva should have scored from Foden’s cross to the back post just seconds later, yet the Portugal international failed to connect properly with the ball.

Despite City’s complete control over proceedings, it took until the 25th minute for them to score the opener. Bernardo Silva and Lewis combined down the right flank, with the latter firing the ball across the box. It was met by the onrushing Foden, who shot right footed into the ground and it bounced up and past goalkeeper Janis Blaswich.

Erling Haaland had his first chance of the night soon after, but toe-poked his effort wide from close range, and in the latter stages of the first period sent in a cross into the box that was too near Blaswich, and was palmed away by the 32-year-old.

Yet within a minutes of the second period beginning, Leipzig were level. Ruben Dias was drawn into the middle of the pitch as he followed the run of Openda, but the striker spun and was suddenly latching onto a through ball played in behind the City defence by Yussuf Poulsen. Openda took two touches, shrugged off Manuel Akanji’s attempt to win possession and then delicately placed his shot off the inside of the post, and into the back off the net.

After a slow start to the second half, City reasserted their dominance around the hour mark, with Haaland firing wide from Foden’s cross and then forcing Blaswich into a comfortable save from outside the area, not long after Foden rattled the crossbar with a dipping free kick.

In the 71st minute, Haaland continued his frustrating night as he shot over from inside the box, while David Raum got a foot to the ball and prevented the Norwegian from shooting into an almost empty net soon after.

Just as the game looked set to end in a draw, Alvarez provided the match-defining moment of the night, as he collected the ball at the edge of the box, swivelled and then arced his shot into the far corner, giving Blaswich no chance in the Leipzig goal.

Christoph Baumgartner offered the hosts' only chance of an claiming an equaliser, but it was City who grabbed the fourth goal of the night as Alvarez slipped the ball to Jeremy Doku, who rounded off an excellent counter attack by coolly slotting in his effort in the bottom corner.

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