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Triple goalscorer Christopher Nkunku against Oleksandr Zinchenko
Photo: Michael Steele / Getty Images
RB Leipzig lost 3: 6 (1: 3) at Manchester City on the first day of the Champions League.
The team of coach Jesse Marsch fell behind against the English champions early on, Nathan Aké headed (16th minute) and an own goal by Nordi Mukiele (22nd) gave City the lead.
Christopher Nkunku scored the next goal for Leipzig (42nd), with a converted hand penalty Riyad Mahrez restored the old distance before the break (45th + 2).
After the break, Nkunku scored a second (51st) and a third time (73rd), Jack Grealish with his debut goal in the premier class (56th) and João Cancelo (75th) quickly took the wind out of the sails for the Leipzigers .
Another Leipzig race to catch up prevented Angeliño from being brought out with yellow-red (79th), Gabriel Jesus got the final score (85th).
Only four days after the 1: 4 defeat in the top Bundesliga match against FC Bayern Munich, the German runner-up also had a hard time against the next high-caliber.
Pep Guardiolas Citizens determined the game from the start and took the lead with a Grealish corner kick: Aké was able to pick up the pace unhindered in the penalty area and finally climbed the highest in the six-yard area, Leipzig goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi could only get the Dutchman's header to the bottom of the crossbar steer (16.).
A little later Kevin De Bruyne made space on the half right with a single action, Mukiele wanted to clear his cross into the penalty area with a head in front of Grealish.
Leipzig's right-back, however, did not put his defensive action out of bounds, but on his own goal - Gulácsi was beaten a second time (28th).
Leipzig makes the game close again - twice
Leipzig now proved its moral and tried to find playful solutions to the up to now insurmountable counter-pressing of the city.
André Silva was still clearly offside when he shot into the goal (35th), Nkunku's goal was then nothing to complain about: Emil Forsberg had lifted the ball into the penalty area, Mukiele headed the far post into the middle again, where Nkunku was ready (42.).
Lukas Klostermann was responsible for the fact that the home side again scored two goals before the break: The defensive player got a header from Ferrán Torres in his own penalty area from close range, referee Serdar Gözübüyük looked at the scene a second time and decided on penalty.
Mahrez turned safely (45th).
After the break, Nkunku found a little space in the City penalty area again, Dani Olmo put the Frenchman with his second header (51.).
As in the first half, the favorite from Manchester quickly took the tension out of the game: Grealish left Tyler Adams on a solo opponent, pulled in from the left and scored his first goal in the Champions League in a remarkable way (56.) .
Nkunku's third stroke (73rd) seemed to usher in an exciting final phase in an open-minded game.
This did not happen again: First Cancelo scored the fifth goal for City with a long-range shot, then Angeliño was thrown off the pitch for repeated fouls with yellow-red (79th).
Gabriel Jesus made everything clear from a short distance (85th).
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