After already qualifying for the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League, Manchester City took their foot off the pedal against RB Leipzig until Phil Foden came in clutch for the citizens as he dragged the lackadaisical defending champions from 0-2 down with a goal and two assists. While Phil Foden may not be the first name on the teamsheet for Pep in the Premier League, the Englishman has been instrumental in the Champions League for City with three goals and three assists. His performance also helped preserve City’s unbeaten run at home and stretch the record to 29 while increasing the English record to a 19-game unbeaten run in this European competition.
Phil Foden Rallies Lazy Manchester City From Two Goals Down
Although both teams have already qualified for the knockout stage of this season’s Champions League, Leipzig played like they were on the verge of being knocked out as they burst into action at the Etihad and had a commanding 2-0 lead inside 33 minutes through Loïs Openda’s brace. Manchester City, on the other hand, was loose and lax and played without cohesion and desire.
However, to their credit, the defending champions woke up in the second half with some attacking changes by Pep. Immediately, just a minute after the substitution, Phil Foden split the defence with a clever pass, and Haaland raced through to finish powerfully. Then, Phil Foden took centre stage as he took the ball in his stride before taking out a defender on the edge of the box and cleverly rolling past Janis Blaswich.
With the game at 2-2 and injury time fast approaching, Phil Foden displayed one last touch of wizardly as he combined brilliantly with Jérémy Doku before cutting the ball to an unmarked Julián Álvarez to score. It was the Argentinian’s first goal in five games as the citizens reeled away, celebrating their dramatic comeback win. The win also cements their spot as group winners, as even the most fanatic and confident City fans would like to avoid facing a second-seeded opponent from the group of death with how volatile the group and their own performance have been.
Class night in the Champions League 👌🏻
We never give up 👊🏻🔵 pic.twitter.com/iunpvcKZic
— Phil Foden (@PhilFoden) November 28, 2023
Phil Foden Admits First Half Is Manchester City’s Worst Display Ever
In the post-match conference, Phil Foden admitted that their display in the first was horrific but also credited the squad’s courage in the second half. “The first half was the worst I’ve seen us. Courage and motivation courage changed it around. This team has a great mentality, and it’s so nice to see. We just needed that goal to get going. Even the fans were a lot louder after the goal. Once the first went in, the motivation was there. We’ve got a great record at the Etihad, and it only takes one goal to change things.”
As for his goal that drew the game level, Phil Foden stated: “I’ve been rushing a few chances, but I passed it through the guy’s legs. Fortunately, it went in.” On the other hand, Pep Guardiola felt contempt about the result but admitted the concern’s regarding his team’s recent defensive struggles.
“If we talk about the qualification, it is a great night. If we talk about the game, we could do better. Sloppy goals – In football, you have to win duels, and it was quite similar against Chelsea. We were solid, and now we’ve had two warnings already. It’s the same up front. We’ve had chances and missed them. But maybe for the future, it’s good to win, not comfortably, to show we are able to make a comeback. When we scored early in the second half, 45 minutes was a long time for them. It was not easy because they defended well and were strong, but we were there.”
Does Manchester City Still Have the Champions Mindset?
As Pep Guardiola mentioned, Manchester City has had two close shaves in recent matches, three if you include the game they draw on the weekend against Liverpool. Thus, it begs the question, are the Manchester City players still motivated enough to claim back-to-back treble? While this comeback does show champion characteristics, City fans should be worried about their defensive fragilities exploited in the recent matches.
Up next for the citizens is a match against a struggling Spurs, who has lost three fixtures on the spin. Thus, they should expect an easy victory. However, Spurs are one of the only teams that City have struggled against in recent times, as the defending champions even lost the last meeting against them 1-0. How will Saturday turn out? Stay tuned to our coverage on our site.
For more news about the ongoing UEFA Champions League campaign, head to AsiaSport for daily updates and high-definition highlights of your favourite teams and matches. A gentle reminder from us that Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal and Bayern Munich will be in action tomorrow, so do not miss out.
We fight ’til the end! 💪🩵 pic.twitter.com/dI6CHIgL4O
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 28, 2023
