Gvardiol gives RB Leipzig fighting chance against Man City
February 23, 2023
In the red corner was RB Leipzig: Ever-present in the Bundesliga since 2016, regulars in the Champions League and the reigning German Cup winners. An advertising hoarding for a drinks company whose ownership model of the Saxony club circumvents the 50+1 rule which binds German football together, Leipzig's very existence threatens the fabric of German club football.
In the blue corner, Manchester City: English Premier League champions in four of the last five years. Limitlessly bankrolled by the ruling family of Abu Dhabi for the past 15 years in a thinly-veiled attempt to sportswash their malevolence away, City have recently been accused of over 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations. Ding, ding!
Gvardiol throws light and shade
In footballing terms, at least, this was a compelling contest. Their only previous two meetings had aggregated 12 goals, including a remarkable 6-3 win for City. Both games had seen Riyad Mahrez find the net, so it should have been little surprise that his goal would break the deadlock here – but it wasn't Josko Gvardiol's finest moment.
The Croatian center-back seems destined for a big-money switch to England this summer, with City among his potential suitors. This double-header against the English champions puts him firmly in the shop window for those considering making him the world's most expensive defender. But when Jack Grealish seized on Xaver Schlager's stray pass, Gvardiol was muscled out of it by the savvy Ilkay Gündogan, allowing the ball to roll into the path of Mahrez. The Algerian did the rest.
Leipzig injected some urgency into their approach play after the break and the chances started to come; Benjamin Henrichs and Andre Silva went closest as Gvardiol and Willi Orban kept Erling Haaland at bay. It was at the other end that Gvardiol made his mark though, rising high to nod Marcel Halstenburg's header in with 20 minutes to play, atoning for his earlier error.
Leipzig block supply lines to Haaland
The equalizer had long been coming and was no less than Leipzig deserved having raised the tempo and reducing Haaland to feeding off scraps at a stadium where he'd scored four times in his two visits with Borussia Dortmund. In fact, this was the first time he'd been to Leipzig and not scored. As much as his faltering form is a failure of City's own making, it's also testament to Leipzig sealing off the supply lines. In that regard, Konrad Laimer deserves particular praise — even if Kevin de Bruyne was denied a return to Germany due to illness.
Leipzig coach Marco Rose had sent on Christopher Nkunku for the final 25 minutes and the Frenchman applied enough attacking pressure to tip the balance Leipzig's way. Even if the second goal didn't come, Leipzig did enough at both ends of the field to suggest this isn't over.
City have reached the quarterfinals in each of the six seasons that Guardiola has been at the helm in Manchester but nothing is a given as an enticing second leg awaits on March 14. The gloves could come off in part two of the battle of the nomantics.