RB Leipzig, like Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend, did an excellent job of keeping Erling Haaland quiet here. When the big guy does not stand up for Manchester City, though, as more and more opponents are discovering, the European champions are increasingly able to rely on his small sidekick to take a leading role.
This game was following a similar pattern to their previous meeting in Saxony in February, when Leipzig came from behind in the first half to equalize and gain a hard-earned draw.
But then Julian Alvarez entered the battle, and Leipzig were staring at a 3-1 defeat after being unpicked twice by the Argentine’s brilliance. Alvarez had barely been on the field for five minutes as a substitution for Phil Foden when Jeremy Doku poked a pass through to him on the edge of the penalty box.
With a swarm of white shirts surrounding him, Alvarez dug out a shot from under his feet that went into the top corner thanks to a tiny deflection from Nicolas Seiwald.
It was Alvarez’s sixth goal of the season, and it is evident that he is not content with being a mere support act to Haaland. With the game in overtime, Alvarez switched roles, putting a precise pass into the path of Doku, who finished coolly.
After a season in which he added the Premier League title, the European Cup, and the FA Cup to the World Cup he won with Argentina, it is evident that the 23-year-old is becoming a big figure for both his club and country, and Pep Guardiola’s praise was telling.
“Listen, a player who is a world champion is a good player,” City manager Pep Guardiola remarked. “It was a fantastic goal, but it wasn’t the first time.” “The impact [from the bench] was enormous.”
City’s journey to the Champions League knockout stages for the 11th consecutive season already feels like a formality, with two wins from their first two games in Group A and their most difficult encounter now successfully handled. After two defeats in a row, this was a nice return to form, especially with Arsenal coming to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, when Guardiola will be without the suspended Rodri.
City have now gone an English record-tying 16 games unbeaten in Europe, and while Alvarez was eventually important, it was another kid who contributed to give the squad a true platform in the game.
Rico Lewis plays with maturity much beyond his years, and if Guardiola was unsure who to play in center midfield against Arsenal in Rodri’s absence, the 18-year-old from Bury gave him something to think about. Mateo Kovacic will almost certainly return to the starting lineup, but Lewis would more than justify a spot alongside him.
This was a high-energy, cerebral performance. Lewis was instrumental in City’s switch to a 3-2-4-1 system last winter, and the full-back thrived once again in the midfield spot Guardiola prefers for him. Lewis was involved in City’s greatest effort of the night, and he was crucial in Foden’s opening goal. The combination play of Bernardo Silva and Lewis opened up Leipzig, whose pull back after a penetrating run in behind for Foden was inch precise. Foden’s finale was very impressive.
“He played good, eh?” a beaming Guardiola said of Lewis. “What a player. Eighteen years old. I’ve been a manager for years, training unbelievable players, to find a player like him in the pockets, he is one of the best I’ve ever trained. He’s a humble guy, doesn’t talk much. He helped us a lot [last season] to understand what we had to do.
“I’ve spoken to the other players and they like him. When you gain the respect of your team-mates, that’s the most important thing. He has it and that’s the key point. They know they can rely on him.”
Leipzig rallied after the break, as they did in the first leg of their round-of-16 encounter with City in February, and scored a magnificent transition goal when Lois Openda slammed home a shot off the inside of a post after Jack Grealish had turned over possession.
The Germans remained a threat on the break, and with Haaland underperforming and grasping at chances, City were grateful for Alvarez’s introduction.