Leipzig (Germany) (AFP) – Erling Haaland's 78th-minute strike helped Manchester City shake off a mini-slump with a 3-2 Champions League win at RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

Issued on: 04/11/2026 - 23:17Modified: 04/11/2026 - 23:50

After an excellent start to the season, City had lost two Premier League games in a row either side of beating Brighton on penalties in the League Cup.

The visitors twice went ahead -- through a Castello Lukeba own goal and an Enzo Fernandez header -- only to be pegged back by goals from Ridle Baku and Antonio Nusa.

Despite having scored more against Leipzig than any other opponents in his career, Haaland had few chances but was right on the spot to turn in an Elliot Anderson cross for the winner.

"For me I think it's easy. It's around 100 minutes a game to just stay fully focused," Haaland told reporters.

"In this period it was about trying to wait for the right moment and attack it in the right way and put it in the back of the net and that's exactly what I did."

Haaland has now scored 13 times in nine matches against Leipzig, including a memorable five-goal performance in a 7-0 rout in March 2023.

Despite the victory, City were well below their usual best against a Leipzig side in a rebuilding process under new coach Martin Demichelis.

City coach Enzo Maresca, who arrived in the summer, conceded his side were still a "work in progress" but praised Haaland.

"It's important that he's on his game. We know that at any moment he can help us, he can score goals," Maresca said.

Maresca backed under-fire goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was out of position for Baku's equaliser.

"It's not a concern... We are talking about a mistake. A few minutes before he made a save that no keeper in the world could make."

Nusa's performance was a highlight for the hosts, with Haaland's Norway teammate now on six goals and seven assists in 14 matches this season as Leipzig look to replace Yan Diomande, who left for Real Madrid in the summer.

"It's a pity, to be honest," Nusa told TNT Sports. "I feel like we deserved more today and you end up with zero points. It's not a good feeling."

City's mini-slide

City travelled to Germany having lost two Premier League games in a row for the first time since August 2025.

Leipzig had won just one from three in the Champions League before Wednesday but had been excellent at home, winning five from five while scoring 19 goals without conceding once.

Haaland was handed the captain's armband for the first time this season but it was another Norwegian, Leipzig's Nusa, who impressed early.

Nusa forced Donnarumma to tip a shot over the crossbar with 14 minutes gone.

Leipzig looked more comfortable but then conceded in embarrassing fashion with 37 minutes gone when Lukeba bungled a Nico O'Reilly cut-back into his own goal.

Christoph Baumgartner forced an excellent save from Donnarumma just after the break but Leipzig were soon level when Baku threaded a low shot in from an acute angle with the Italian out of position off his line.

Haaland's first dangerous moment came shortly after Baku's equaliser, when he forced a close-range save from Maarten Vandevoordt.

Fernandez had City back in front just before the hour mark when he headed in a lovely Iliman Ndiaye cross, but Leipzig restored parity just three minutes later.

Christopher Nkunku linked up with Nusa just four minutes after coming off the bench, allowing the Norwegian to cut a low shot across the face of goal and in.

When Anderson broke down the right flank with 12 minutes left, Haaland immediately adjusted his run towards the far post, where he waited to tap in the England midfielder's pinpoint cross.

© 2026 AFP

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