Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku were the difference makers when Man City upset RB Leipzig 3-1 in the second game of Group G Champions League 2023–24, mostly due to a pivotal coach Pep Guardiola change.

When Man City was having a hard time breaking through the home goal, Guardiola substituted Doku and Alvarez for Jack Grealish and Phil Foden. This couple helped each other score a goal that gave Man City the victory, which turned the tide of the game.

In the 84th minute, Alvarez made history by being the first player to shine. After receiving the ball from Doku, the Argentine striker “drawn a beautiful rainbow” in the penalty area and struck Leipzig’s net to make the score 2-1. People can notice how skilled Alvarez is when they see this goal since he only swung his leg and the ball landed in the German representative’s net without needing to gather velocity.

Seven minutes later, Alvarez paid it forward by helping Doku launch a counterattack that gave Man City a 3-1 victory. Everything happened very fast, and the key substitute strategy used by coach Guardiola made all the difference.

Instead of using the tried-and-true 4-2-3-1 configuration against Leipzig, the Spanish tactician allowed Man City to play with a 3-2-4-1 formation. Erling Haaland remains in the slot as Bernardo Silva and Rodri, two vital players, return to Man City’s starting lineup. Pep also started young player Rico Lewis on the pitch right away, supporting Haaland as Foden’s supporting cast member.

In reality, Man City’s superior squad quality allowed them to absolutely overpower Leipzig. After a beautiful ball from Lewis’ right flank, Foden raced in and finished precisely within 16 meters to give the reigning champion the lead in the 25th minute. But Leipzig counterattacked early in the second half, and Lois Openda made a swift and clean escape to bring the game back to full strength. Sadly, the home team’s only hope was that, as Alvarez and Doku, the replacement combo, overwhelmed them.

With their second straight victory in the 2023–24 Champions League, Man City defeated RB Leipzig 3–1, taking first place in Group G with 6 absolute points. Above all, this is the ideal preparatory move for the Green Man ahead of his crucial match against Arsenal in the eighth round of the Premier League.

Line up:

RB Leipzig: Blaswich, Klostermann, Simakan, Lukeba, Raum, Schlager, Seiwald (Haidara 85′), Simons, Forsberg (Sesko 70′), Poulsen (Baumgartner 75′), Openda (Werner 70′).
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Akanji (Ake 72′), Ruben Dias, Guardiol, Rodri, Lewis, Foden (Alvarez 79′), Bernardo Silva (Nunes 87′), Grealish (Doku 72′), Haaland.