Tag: Man City

Fabian Hurzeler’s strategic substitutions inspired a victory for his team on Sunday in Brighton vs Man City clash in the Premier League.

Manchester City blew the lead in a shock 2-1 defeat at Brighton that extended their troubled start to the Premier League season.

City striker Erling Haaland marked his 100th Premier League appearance with his 88th goal in the competition since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.

But the 25-year-old’s third goal this season wasn’t enough to help Pep Guardiola’s side bounce back from last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat against Tottenham.

James Milner’s second-half penalty hauled Brighton level before Brajan Gruda’s late strike completed City’s collapse.

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Spain midfielder Rodri made his first league start for City since suffering a serious knee injury against Arsenal in September 2024.

But Ballon d’Or holder Rodri, who had also started a Club World Cup match in the summer, was unable to inspire City to their second win of the season.

Haaland should have given City an early lead after racing clean through, but he scuffed a tame shot straight at Bart Verbruggen.

He also lashed just wide from 18 yards after a flowing City move.

The Norway striker missed another chance with a weak header from Rayan Ait-Nouri’s cross, allowing Verbruggen the chance to claw it to safety.

Haaland persevered and finally pierced the Brighton defence in the 34th minute, stabbing past Verbruggen from close range after Omar Marmoush prodded the ball into his path.

Haaland forced Verbruggen into a miscued clearance just before half-time, but Rodri blazed the chance over.

Matheus Nunes handed Brighton a lifeline in the 67th minute.

Lewis Dunk shrugged off Bernardo Silva’s attempt to mark him and blasted a shot that Nunes blocked with his arm away from his body.

Milner sent James Trafford the wrong way with a clinical penalty before copying Diogo Jota’s goal celebration in tribute to his former Liverpool team-mate, who died in a car crash in July.

It was the 39-year-old’s first Premier League goal since 2019, making him the second-oldest scorer in the competition’s history behind Teddy Sheringham, who was 40 when he set the record.

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City were in disarray and German youngster Gruda made them pay in the 89th minute, breaking into the area before delivering a composed finish to spark wild celebrations as Guardiola looked on in disbelief.

In Sunday’s other early game, West Ham eased the pressure on boss Graham Potter with a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest.

Potter had faced calls for his sacking after West Ham conceded eight goals in two successive top-flight defeats, then crashed out of the League Cup at Wolves.

Former Chelsea and Brighton boss Potter, who has only been in charge of West Ham since January, may have earned a stay of execution thanks to their late goal spree at the City Ground.

England forward Jarrod Bowen curled home from 18 yards in the 84th minute.

Lucas Paqueta converted an 88th-minute penalty after Crysencio Summerville was fouled by Ibrahim Sangare.

Callum Wilson sealed the Hammers’ first win this season with a 90th-minute header.

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ISTANBUL: Manchester City tasted Champions League glory at last on Saturday as a second-half Rodri strike gave the favourites a 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in a tense final, allowing Pep Guardiola’s side to complete a remarkable treble.

Rodri fired in from a Bernardo Silva cutback midway through the second half at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium to decide a game in which City were knocked out of their usual rhythm and lost Kevin De Bruyne to injury.

Erling Haaland, scorer of 52 goals this season, went a fifth straight match without finding the net, but City had enough to edge out opponents who had never been expected to get this far.

“It wasn’t easy. What a team we faced, unbelievable,” Rodri told British broadcaster BT Sport.

Having already claimed a fifth Premier League title in six seasons, and added the FA Cup, City are the first English club to win such a treble since Manchester United in 1999.

That same month 24 years ago, City won the English third-tier play-off final on penalties against Gillingham.

Now they have established themselves as England’s dominant side and have finally added the biggest prize in European club football, two years after losing to Chelsea in their first final.

“I think we made history. The good thing is that we want more. This project is to want more, more ambition,” Rodri added.

The match was watched by owner Sheikh Mansour, who made a very rare appearance at a City game as his team capped their rise from also-rans to superpower in the years since he bought the club in 2008.

 

– Guardiola’s third title –

 

Twelve years after last lifting the trophy with Barcelona, meanwhile, Guardiola joins an elite club of coaches to have won the competition three times.

“It’s so difficult to win it,” Guardiola said, before adding that City’s triumph this season was “written in the stars”.

Having brushed aside RB Leipzig, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid to reach the final, City did not have it easy against Inter, who saw Federico Dimarco and substitute Romelu Lukaku both almost equalise.

Inter had hoped to spring a surprise and lift the trophy for the fourth time. It was not to be, but Simone Inzaghi’s side will be back in the competition again next season.

“We didn’t deserve to lose,” Inzaghi said. “We played against a top team, absolutely, but Inter also played a great final.”

Victory for Guardiola’s men, to go with the three titles of rivals United, means Manchester becomes just the second city to produce two different winners of the competition, after Milan.

The occasion did not match the drama of the last Champions League final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

Liverpool triumphed here in 2005, recovering from a three-goal deficit against AC Milan to draw 3-3 before winning on penalties.

However, it also passed off without serious incident, a year after chaos overshadowed the final at the Stade de France in Paris, even if the stadium’s location some 25 kilometres west of central Istanbul did not make access simple for supporters.

 

– De Bruyne comes off hurt –

 

City, with Nathan Ake starting ahead of Kyle Walker in defence, expected Inter to come out and attempt to thwart them, and the first half went to plan for the Italians.

They pressed and snapped at City’s heels, although the best chance fell to Guardiola’s men when De Bruyne set up Haaland for an effort that was well saved by Andre Onana.

City were then dealt a major blow as De Bruyne — who came off hurt in the 2021 final — departed injured on 36 minutes, to be replaced by Phil Foden.

It was just as the prospect of extra time, and a final finishing past midnight, began to loom that the game opened up.

Lautaro Martinez squandered a chance that was gifted to him by a poor Silva ball back towards his own goal, and City struck on 68 minutes.

Manuel Akanji’s pass found Silva in the box and his cutback came off a defender before falling for Rodri to fire in.

It was a second goal in the competition for the Spanish midfielder following his brilliant strike against Bayern in the quarter-finals.

Inter’s resistance was broken, and yet they nearly levelled almost immediately as Dimarco’s header hit the bar.

They nearly did so again in the 88th minute as Ederson somehow got in the way of a goal-bound Lukaku effort.

After coming so close in recent Champions League campaigns, finally it was City’s time.

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LONDON: Manchester City won the Premier League for the fifth time in six seasons on Saturday, taking a first step to a possible golden treble of trophies as second-placed Arsenal lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest.

The Gunners’ challenge finally evaporated after a second consecutive defeat left Mikel Arteta’s side four points adrift of City with one game left for them to play.

Taiwo Awonyi’s first-half goal also ensured Forest avoided relegation in their first season back in the top flight for 23 years.

City’s third successive English title has turned Sunday’s league game at home to Chelsea into a celebration match.

Pep Guardiola’s men will now look to complete a treble when they face local rivals Manchester United and Italian giants Inter Milan in next month’s FA Cup and Champions League finals respectively.

City have become the dominant force in the English game since an Abu Dhabi-backed takeover transformed their fortunes in 2008.

But admiration for the quality of their football under manager Guardiola has also been accompanied by questions over their financing, with City facing a mammoth 115 charges for breaking Premier League rules.

Nevertheless, City captain Ilkay Gundogan insisted his side had been pushed hard this season.

“The Premier League is without doubt the most demanding and competitive league in the world so that tells you everything about what an achievement this is,” he said.

But for Arsenal manager Arteta, a former assistant to Guardiola, there were thoughts of what might have been for the longtime leaders.

“First of all congratulations to Manchester City for winning the championship but it is a sad day for us,” Arteta told Sky Sports.

“Now we have to face the reality, today we gave a goal away and we were not good enough to break them down. We could play for three hours and we would not have done it.”

By contrast, Forest manager Steve Cooper told the BBC: “We limited them (Arsenal) to very little, incredible desire and we got over the line. It was everything we wished for from today. It is what the players and the supporters particularly deserve.”

– Man Utd, Newcastle eye Champions League –

Manchester United and Newcastle were on the brink of qualifying for next season’s Champions League after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.

United’s 1-0 victory at Bournemouth, combined with Liverpool’s failure to beat Villa, left Erik ten Hag’s men and Newcastle within touching distance of ensuring top-four finishes.

Fourth-placed United and Newcastle, in third, are both three points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool, who have only one game left.

At the Vitality Stadium, United took the lead in the ninth minute through Casemiro’s acrobatic bicycle kick from close-range.

“We are nearly there, but we are not there. I don’t care what happens in Liverpool, it’s about us,” Ten Hag said.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp watched from the stands at Anfield as he served a touchline ban following his recent rant about referee Paul Tierney.

Villa wasted a 22nd-minute penalty when Ollie Watkins fired wide after the striker was brought down but they still went ahead five minutes later through Jacob Ramsey’s volley.

Fans’ favourite Roberto Firmino, set to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, came on late in the game  and the Brazilian forward then marked his Anfield farewell with a close-range finish in stoppage-time.

– Everton late show –

“We would have loved to make it exciting for another week, but we will make the Europa League our competition. I am not that spoilt,” said Klopp.

For Liverpool’s local rivals Everton, dreams of European football have long been replaced by the need to avoid relegation.

Yerry Mina’s last-gasp equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Wolves boosted the Toffees’ hopes of avoiding playing in the second tier for the first time since 1954.

Sean Dyche’s men fell behind after 34 minutes when Hwang Hee-chan netted from close-range.

Mina bundled in Everton’s leveller nine minutes into stoppage-time to leave them fourth bottom, two points above the relegation zone, with Leeds and Leicester snapping at their heels.

“If you are a footballer you can’t just sign up for the good things,” said Everton manager Dyche. “You have to fight to be in the Premier League and we are fighting.”

Tottenham’s season to forget hit a new low with a 3-1 home defeat against Brentford.

Spurs took the lead through Harry Kane’s 28th league goal this season, but a Bryan Mbeumo brace and Yoane Wissa’s late strike left them floundering in eighth place.

Frustration has mounted throughout the final weeks of a troubled season for Tottenham and fans hung banners outside the stadium pointing the finger of blame at owners ENIC, while chanting for chairman Daniel Levy to resign.

Fulham and Crystal Palace shared a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage.

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MANCHESTER: Manchester City produced a landmark performance to reach the Champions League final as Bernardo Silva’s double put Real Madrid to the sword in a 4-0 thrashing that secured a 5-1 aggregate win for the English champions on Wednesday.

Eder Militao’s own goal and Julian Alvarez’s strike in stoppage time rounded off a memorable night for Pep Guardiola’s men as they moved to within three wins of matching Manchester United’s treble in 1998/99.

“To play like that against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals is a huge satisfaction,” said Guardiola.

A fifth Premier League title in six seasons appears a formality with City needing just three points from their final three games, while United await in the FA Cup final on June 3.

But it is a first ever Champions League that City crave the most and they will be strong favourites to finally conquer Europe against Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10.

Seven years into Guardiola’s reign as City boss, the home fans were sent into seventh heaven by the quality of a display that rivalled the former Barcelona boss’ Champions League final wins in charge of the Catalan giants in 2009 and 2011.

Madrid dashed City’s dreams at this stage last season with a remarkable comeback from two goals down in the dying seconds of the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

But Carlo Ancelotti’s men this time had no answer to City’s excellence.

“I had the feeling we had the pain of last year in our stomach,” added Guardiola.

“Today it all came out in our energy and desire. Sport always give you a second chance to take revenge. We had the luck to get that chance this year and we took it.”

Were it not for Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, the defending champions would have been on the end of a hiding before half-time.

The giant Belgian needed all of his two-metre (6ft 7in) frame to claw Erling Haaland’s header round the post.

Haaland had already been denied his 53rd goal of the season by Courtois with another downward header.

Rodri, John Stones and Jack Grealish also saw pot shots fly off target from the edge of the area, but Madrid’s luck finally ran out on 23 minutes.

Kevin De Bruyne unpicked the lock as his pass found Silva inside the area, and he smashed high past Courtois’ left hand.

– No ‘drama’ for Ancelotti –

The visitors had barely registered a touch inside the City half for the opening half hour, but were inches away from an equaliser 10 minutes before half-time when a piledriver from Toni Kroos rattled the crossbar.

Just as Madrid were beginning to settle, City grabbed the second goal their first half dominance deserved.

The in-form Ilkay Gundogan was denied a fifth goal in May by Militao’s block, but the ball looped up kindly for Silva to head into an unguarded net.

City had to show a different side to their game early in the second-half to weather Madrid’s reaction and ensure there was no repeat of last season’s late drama between the sides.

“We have played against a team that deserved to win,” said Ancelotti.

“We don’t have to make a drama of it. This squad did very well this year, did very well last year and we weren’t able to reach another final.”

The closest Real came to a lifeline was a dipping free-kick from David Alaba that Ederson tipped over.

At the other end Courtois continued to win his personal battle with Haaland by turning the Norwegian’s shot onto the bar when one-on-one.

But City won the war to move within one match of completing a transformation in the club’s fortunes since an Abu Dhabi-backed takeover in 2008.

The next blow to the Spanish giants was self-inflicted as Militao deflected Manuel Akanki’s header past Courtois 15 minutes from time.

Haaland was replaced by Alvarez two minutes from the end and that was all the Argentine World Cup winner needed to make his mark as he slotted home from Phil Foden’s pass.

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LONDON: Pep Guardiola said all thoughts about Manchester City’s Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid have been banished ahead of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Everton.

Treble-chasing City hope to claim a place in the final of Europe’s elite club competition when they host Real on Wednesday after drawing 1-1 in the first leg of their last-four tie this week.

City have never won the Champions League, while Guardiola’s wait to get his hands on the trophy has now reached 12 years since he lifted it for the second time as Barcelona boss.

Despite the significance of the Real tie, the Premier League leaders cannot afford to take it easy when they travel to relegation-threatened Everton in a clash that is crucial at both ends of the table.

Any slip-up at Goodison Park would open the door again to second-placed Arsenal, who are just one point behind City, although they have played a game extra.

“My thought is just Everton — no more than that,” Guardiola said on Friday.

“It’s 11 months working for the Premier League. We don’t have much time to Madrid because we play Sunday — thank you so much — but it’s a real, real priority, Goodison Park.”

Real have an extra day’s rest before the second leg as they are in La Liga action on Saturday.

Guardiola, whose team are targeting a fifth Premier League title in six years, would have preferred to play on Saturday too but says he is beyond complaining about the schedule.

“I can’t understand it but I’m not going to fight it anymore,” said the City boss. “I don’t understand it but we have to adapt. The schedule, it is what it is.”

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MANCHESTER: Erling Haaland set a new Premier League record of 35 goals in a season as the Manchester City striker took his tally in all competitions this campaign to 51 by scoring against West Ham on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old moves beyond the 34 goals scored by Alan Shearer for Blackburn in 1994/95 and Andy Cole when at Newcastle a season earlier.

However, Haaland is still some way short of the all-time record for goals in an English top-flight season of 60 set by Everton legend Dixie Dean in 1927/28.

In his first season in English football, Haaland has rewritten the record books as City close in on a potential treble of Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

He is the first player in the English top flight to score a half century of goals in all competitions since 1931.

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LONDON: Erling Haaland equalled the Premier League’s single-season goal record as the Manchester City striker netted for the 34th time this term in Sunday’s clash with Fulham.

Haaland converted a third minute penalty at Craven Cottage to move level with Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s single-season Premier League record total.

Shearer scored 34 for Blackburn in 1995 and Cole hit the same tally for Newcastle in 1994.

It was also the Norway striker’s 50th City goal in all competitions since he signed from Borussia Dortmund last year.

Haaland has reached 34 Premier League goals in just 30 appearances in the competition, scoring more than 21 top-flight teams have managed in total in their first 30 games this season.

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MUNICH: Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals for the second straight season after Erling Haaland scored in a 1-1 draw which secured a 4-1 aggregate last-eight win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

The Norwegian missed a first-half penalty but muscled his way upfield midway through the second half, lashing past Bayern goalkeeper Yann Sommer for his 48th goal in 41 appearances this season.

Bayern scored a late penalty through Joshua Kimmich but were again haunted by their inability to make possession and chances count.

City will play in the semis for the third straight year but face a rematch with manager Pep Guardiola’s old foe Real, who scored two late goals to spectacularly turn the tie their way on the way to eventually winning the title last season.

“The semi-final again… the experience that we have in the competition, the players feel it a lot, they want to do really well,” Guardiola told BT Sport.

Bayern sacked previous coach Julian Nagelsmann in favour of Thomas Tuchel earlier this month despite a perfect record in the Champions League this season but have since been eliminated from Europe and the German Cup.

“If we can’t take positives from this match, we would have a problem,” Tuchel, whose side are only two points clear of Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga title race, told DAZN.

“At the moment, City are in the best shape, with the best players in the best league in the world.”

Guardiola, so often criticised in the Champions League for tinkering with his side, named the same XI that won the first leg 3-0 in Manchester.

Tuchel made two changes, opting for the creativity of City loanee Joao Cancelo at full-back and bringing back Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, the only recognised striker in the squad.

– Bayern’s fast start in vain –

Bayern, hoping to replicate previous miracle Champions League comebacks which started with an early goal, went on the attack from the outset.

Bayern’s other former City star, Leroy Sane, chipped just wide on 17 minutes when through one-on-one with goalkeeper Ederson.

The six-time European champions received a massive let-off just a minute later in one of City’s first attacks thanks to a narrow offside call against Haaland.

Dayot Upamecano, widely criticised for a nervous first-leg performance, initially saw red for bringing down the Norwegian with the goal in sight, but the card was immediately rescinded.

An animated Tuchel received a yellow for exchanging words with the assistant referee while theatrically applauding the decision.

Bayern’s lack of confidence and fluidity up front was obvious just minutes later, when Sane, clean through again, cut the ball back to an off-balance Leon Goretzka.

Upamecano was in the thick of it once more with 35 minutes gone, handballing in the box, bringing former Dortmund player Haaland to the spot in front of the home ultras.

The Norwegian, however, blasted over, only his third miss from 36 penalty attempts, and his first for City.

Haaland made up for his error in the 57th minute when he burst away from Upamecano, who slipped, blasted the ball past Sommer and into the goal to cap off a quick City counter-attack.

Bayern had the ball in the net on 73 minutes but French teenager Mathys Tel’s goal was ruled out for offside.

With seven minutes left, Kimmich converted a consolation from the spot after a Manuel Akanji handball.

The winner of the City-Real tie will face either AC Milan or Inter Milan in the final in Istanbul on June 10.

For Bayern, the recriminations will begin on and off the field after City’s dominant display, with a frustrated Tuchel sent to the stands for picking up a second yellow in the final minutes.

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MANCHESTER: Erling Haaland equalled a Champions League record with a five-goal haul to ease Manchester City into the quarter-finals at RB Leipzig’s expense with a 7-0 win on Tuesday. 

Haaland also set a new club record for goals in a season of 39 in the process as Pep Guardiola’s men reached the last eight for the sixth consecutive season with an 8-1 aggregate victory.

“My super strength is scoring goals,” said Haaland. “A lot of it is being quick in the mind and trying to put it where the goalkeeper is not.”

Abu Dhabi-owned City are yet to go all the way in the Champions League, but they have never had a striker of Haaland’s quality to make the difference in the latter stages before.

At just 22 he now has 33 goals in 25 appearances in Europe’s premier club competition.

“Firstly, I’m proud to play in this competition, I love it,” added Haaland. “Five goals! To win 7-0 is amazing.”

The snowy weather was more akin to Haaland’s homeland, but City did not freeze under the pressure and kept their Champions League dreams alive.

The tie was delicately balanced after a 1-1 draw in eastern Germany three weeks ago, but a Leipzig side depleted by injury never looked like a match for their star-studded opponents.

“That was an incredible performance,” said Leipzig coach Marco Rose.

“They didn’t allow us to control the game at all, at no stage of the game. The bottom line is disappointing for us but they really deserved it.”

Guardiola had kept Kevin De Bruyne in reserve for City’s 1-0 win at Crystal Palace in the Premier League at the weekend and on his return to the starting line-up, the Belgian was back to his best.

Ilkay Gundogan should have opened the scoring after just three minutes from De Bruyne’s inviting cross.

There was some fortune surrounding City’s opener as VAR spotted a handball against Benjamin Henrichs that led to a penalty that neither the City players nor the crowd even noticed.

– Denied record chance –

Haaland fired low to Janis Blaswich’s left to maintain his perfect record from the spot for City with his sixth penalty of the season.

Two minutes later it was 2-0 as Haaland teed up De Bruyne, who smashed a shot against the bar, and then showed his speed and strength to power home a header from the rebound.

Haaland had three before half-time as Ruben Dias rose highest to head Jack Grealish’s corner onto the post and Amadou Haidara’s attempted clearance ricocheted off City’s number nine into the net.

Gundogan’s classy finish into the far corner four minutes into the second half rubbed more salt into Leipzig’s wounds before Haaland started rewriting the record books.

Firstly, he hammered home at the second attempt after Blaswich parried his initial header to match Tommy Johnson’s record of 38 goals for City in the 1928-29 season.

Haaland set a new mark with still three months of the campaign to go when he snaffled up another rebound after Blaswich saved from Manuel Akanji.

In the process, he moved level with Lionel Messi and Luiz Adriano’s record of scoring five goals in a Champions League game.

But Guardiola denied his star striker the chance of another record as he replaced him with Julian Alvarez with 25 minutes remaining.

“If he achieves all these milestones at 22 his life would be boring,” joked Guardiola on making the change.

Instead, it was left to De Bruyne to have the final say as he curled a superb strike into the top corner in stoppage time.

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LEIPZIG: RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol scored a second-half header, cancelling out Riyad Mahrez’s strike to earn a 1-1 with Manchester City in their Champions League last 16 clash on Wednesday.

One of the breakout stars of the Qatar World Cup as the cornerstone of Croatia’s miserly defence, Gvardiol showed his attacking flair, launching himself above the City defence to head in the equaliser in the 70th minute.

City took the lead after 27 minutes through Mahrez and looked on course for a comfortable away win but their fluency deserted them after the interval in the first leg tie.

The home side, who have only lost once in their past 20 games, found their zip in the second half and looked the team most likely to head to the Etihad for the return leg with a victory under their belt.

City’s star striker Erling Haaland suffered for a lack of service, with the Norwegian clearly missing ill midfielder Kevin de Bruyne.

City dominated possession in trademark fashion for the first quarter of the match, but failed to carve out any opportunities against a well-drilled and structured home side.

“At the end, we were a little nervous, the coach told us to calm down, there are 90 minutes left to play,” said Mahrez.

Leipzig coach Marco Rose added: “Two very, very different halves. We just didn’t happen in the first half, just chased the ball, were very bad when we had it. The second was quite different, we were better with the ball, won it back better and played how we had envisioned to play.”

The breakthrough came in the 27th minute, when City midfielder Jack Grealish took advantage of a sloppy pass from Xaver Schlager, pouncing with threading a vertical ball goalwards.

City captain Ilkay Gundogan attracted the attention of the Leipzig defence but let the ball run through his legs into the path of Mahrez, who cut a shot past the fingertips of ‘keeper Janis Blaswich and into the net.

Rodri went close to doubling City’s lead just three minutes later but put his header just wide.

Former Chelsea striker Timo Werner had half a chance in first-half injury time, but waited too long to unleash a shot and his deflected effort was easily claimed by Ederson.

Leipzig swapped out wing backs Lukas Klostermann and Benjamin Henrichs at halftime looking for additional penetration.

The new man went close to scoring an equaliser twice in the space of two minutes early in the second half, first through a looping header and second when he shanked a close-range attempt when one-on-one with Ederson.

The introduction of Christopher Nkunku in the 66th minute came during the home side’s best period of the game and gave them an immediate boost, striker Andre Silva forcing a rushed save from Ederson a minute later.

Gvardiol snuffed out an Haaland counter attack and got the home side on the scoreboard soon after, climbing a metre higher than the City defence to head in the equaliser from a Marcel Halstenberg corner.

Man City held on as Leipzig searched for a winner, meaning both teams head to Manchester on an equal footing ahead of the return fixture on March 14.

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