Erling Haaland Nets 78th-Minute Winner in Manchester City’s 3-2 Victory Over RB Leipzig

Erling Haaland scored the decisive goal in the 78th minute to lead Manchester City to a 3-2 Champions League win at RB Leipzig.

Manchester City defeated RB Leipzig 3-2 on Wednesday at the Red Bull Arena behind a 78th-minute winning goal from Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker converted a cross from Elliot Anderson on just his 13th touch of the match to secure the Champions League league phase victory. The result followed a Saturday loss to Brighton, marking a return to form for Enzo Maresca’s side after two consecutive Premier League defeats.

City initially took the lead before halftime through a Castello Lukeba own goal. RB Leipzig equalized early in the second half via Ridle Baku before Enzo Fernández restored the visitors' advantage. The German hosts drew level a second time through Antonio Nusa before Haaland’s late intervention. The goal was Haaland's 14th of the season and his 13th in nine career appearances against Leipzig, the highest tally he has recorded against any single opponent.

Following the match, Haaland told TNT Sports that the club needs to become more aggressive after leading 1-0 to kill games off earlier. He highlighted ball retention and offensive-defensive coordination as areas for improvement. Manager Enzo Maresca noted that while his team struggled at moments in the away environment, he was satisfied with the number of chances created. Manchester City returns to action with their next fixture scheduled in three days.