RB Leipzig 2-1 Manchester City: Kyle Walker sent off in Champions League defeat
Manchester City ended their Champions League group campaign with defeat by RB Leipzig in a match played without fans because of Covid-19 restrictions.
Pep Guardiola opted to field a strong side, which included a first club start since 6 November for Kevin de Bruyne, despite last season’s runners-up having sealed top spot in Group A with one game to spare.
But the Premier League leaders finished the six-match group stage without a clean sheet after Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and Portugal forward Andre Silva scored for Leipzig, who parted company with their manager over the weekend.
City also finished with 10 men after Kyle Walker was shown a straight red card in the last 10 minutes for an unnecessary foul on Silva.
Szoboszlai had rounded keeper Zack Steffen to open the scoring before Silva, who had earlier been denied by City’s second-choice keeper, doubled the lead with a neat finish.
The visitors, who put six past Leipzig at Etihad Stadium in September, suffered a frustrating night at an empty Red Bull Arena with Phil Foden having a shot tipped on to the post before Riyad Mahrez reduced the deficit with a diving header.
City finish group without clean sheet
City, who will discover their last-16 opponents on Monday, end their group campaign with 12 points from six games – and no clean sheets.
In addition, the late dismissal of Walker means the England defender faces a suspension when his side resume their European campaign in February.
Just days after Guardiola had praised his team for a performance that propelled them to the summit in England, City produced a disjointed display in Germany.
Surprisingly, with a busy December schedule ahead, Guardiola opted to field the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Fernandinho and Foden, who was replaced at the start of the second half, for what was effectively a dead rubber.
Nineteen-year-old forward Cole Palmer was sent on three minutes from the end of normal time but fellow teenagers Conrad Egan-Riley, Josh Wilson-Esbrand, Romeo Lavia and James McAtee were unused.
At least De Bruyne got some vital minutes under his belt after recovering from Covid-19.
He forced Peter Gulacsi, who left Liverpool in 2013 without playing a league game, into a fine save from a free-kick on the stroke of half-time.
However, De Bruyne ended the match with what seemed a harsh booking after not following the referee’s instructions when City were awarded another free-kick.
Player of the match
SzoboszlaiDominik Szoboszlai
RB Leipzig
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Squad number17Player nameSzoboszlai
Average rating7.59
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Squad number18Player nameNkunku
Average rating7.15
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Squad number10Player nameForsberg
Average rating6.91
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Squad number33Player nameAndré Silva
Average rating6.84
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Squad number3Player nameAngelino
Average rating6.84
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Squad number21Player nameBrobbey
Average rating6.83
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Squad number22Player nameMukiele
Average rating6.76
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Squad number16Player nameKlostermann
Average rating6.76
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Squad number32Player nameGvardiol
Average rating6.74
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Squad number27Player nameLaimer
Average rating6.73
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Squad number2Player nameSimakan
Average rating6.73
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Squad number39Player nameHenrichs
Average rating6.72
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Squad number44Player nameKampl
Average rating6.69
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Squad number1Player nameGulácsi
Average rating6.63
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Squad number26Player nameIlaix Moriba
Average rating6.27
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Squad number14Player nameAdams
Average rating6.07
Manchester City
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Squad number26Player nameMahrezAverage rating
5.61
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Squad number47Player nameFodenAverage rating
5.59
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Squad number17Player nameDe BruyneAverage rating
5.26
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Squad number13Player nameSteffenAverage rating
5.05
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Squad number5Player nameStonesAverage rating
4.81
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Squad number6Player nameAkéAverage rating
4.79
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Squad number11Player nameZinchenkoAverage rating
4.74
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Squad number8Player nameGündoganAverage rating
4.68
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Squad number10Player nameGrealishAverage rating
4.54
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Squad number80Player namePalmerAverage rating
4.54
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Squad number25Player nameFernandinhoAverage rating
4.45
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Squad number3Player nameRúben DiasAverage rating
4.40
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Squad number7Player nameSterlingAverage rating
4.36
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Squad number2Player nameWalkerAverage rating
3.72
Line-ups
RB Leipzig
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Gulácsi
- 22MukieleSubstituted forHenrichsat 80′minutes
- 16KlostermannSubstituted forSimakanat 45′minutes
- 32Gvardiol
- 3Angelino
- 27LaimerSubstituted forAdamsat 63′minutesBooked at 90mins
- 44KamplBooked at 14mins
- 18Nkunku
- 10ForsbergSubstituted forBrobbeyat 79′minutes
- 17Szoboszlai
- 33André SilvaSubstituted forKourouma Kouroumaat 86′minutes
Substitutes
- 2Simakan
- 14Adams
- 21Brobbey
- 26Kourouma Kourouma
- 31Martínez
- 35Bonnah
- 39Henrichs
Man City
Formation 4-3-3
- 13Steffen
- 2WalkerBooked at 82mins
- 5StonesBooked at 81mins
- 6AkéSubstituted forRúben Diasat 87′minutes
- 11Zinchenko
- 8Gündogan
- 25Fernandinho
- 17De BruyneBooked at 30minsSubstituted forPalmerat 87′minutes
- 26Mahrez
- 10Grealish
- 47FodenSubstituted forSterlingat 45′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Rúben Dias
- 7Sterling
- 31Ederson
- 33Carson
- 56Egan-Riley
- 80Palmer
- 87McAtee
- 90Lavia
- 97Wilson-Esbrand
- Referee:
- Sandro Schärer
Match Stats
Live Text
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Match ends, RB Leipzig 2, Manchester City 1.
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Second Half ends, RB Leipzig 2, Manchester City 1.
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Fernandinho (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Brian Brobbey (RB Leipzig).
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Offside, Manchester City. Fernandinho tries a through ball, but Raheem Sterling is caught offside.
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Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Ilaix Moriba (RB Leipzig).
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Dangerous play by Rúben Dias (Manchester City).
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Péter Gulácsi (RB Leipzig) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig) is shown the yellow card.
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Jack Grealish (Manchester City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig).
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Offside, RB Leipzig. Dominik Szoboszlai tries a through ball, but Christopher Nkunku is caught offside.
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Jack Grealish (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Benjamin Henrichs (RB Leipzig).
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Fernandinho (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Brian Brobbey (RB Leipzig).
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Rúben Dias (Manchester City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig).
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Substitution, Manchester City. Rúben Dias replaces Nathan Aké.