Manchester, England (AP) – The defending champions, Manchester City, pulled off a stunning 3-2 victory over Leipzig in the Champions League group-stage match on Tuesday. Trailing 2-0 at halftime, Phil Foden played a pivotal role in inspiring a comeback. His excellent performance helped City advance to the knockout stage as the leaders of Group G.
“First half was the worst I’ve seen us. Courage and motivation changed it around,” said Foden. “This team has great mentality and it’s so nice to see. We just needed that (first) goal to get going.”
Foden scored one and assisted in two more goals, helping the team maintain an undefeated home record in the Champions League. His involvement led to Erling Haaland’s goal in the 54th minute and a crucial equalizer in the 70th minute before setting up the winning goal in the 87th minute.
Guardiola commented on the team’s performance, stating, “We had to be as relaxed as possible and we reacted really well. We are first in the group and I am very satisfied for the reaction at the end. The team runs and fights and has spirit.”
Leipzig had suffered its heaviest European defeat, a 7-0 loss, at City’s home ground in last season’s round of 16, hinting at Tuesday’s enthralling game. Although Leipzig forward Lois Openda had looked set to score an unlikely win with two goals, City responded like true champions and turned the game around.
Haaland’s goal made him the fastest player to reach 40 Champions League goals in 35 games, cementing his status as a Premier League record-holder. Meanwhile, Foden showcased his footwork skills, not just in defeating defenders, but also in setting up the opportunities that ultimately led to the team securing an historic win.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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