RB Leipzig vs Manchester City: Report and Result

RB Leipzig vs Manchester City finished 2-3 at the Leipzig Red Bull Arena on Wednesday night, 4 November 2026. Erling Haaland scored the winner in the 78th minute after an own goal, a Ridle Baku equaliser and a quick pair of goals from Enzo Fernandez and Antonio Nusa. The Champions League league-phase match kicked off at 22:00 SAST. This report covers the scorers, line-ups, statistics and what the result means for the table.

What was the score in RB Leipzig vs Manchester City?

Manchester City won 3-2 away to RB Leipzig in Matchday 4 of the Champions League league phase. City led 1-0 at half-time and then survived a lively second half in which four goals arrived. As a result, they moved up to seventh place on nine points. For the build-up, read our RB Leipzig vs Manchester City preview.

Who scored in RB Leipzig vs Manchester City?

Castello Lukeba put through his own net, Ridle Baku and Antonio Nusa scored for Leipzig, and Enzo Fernandez and Erling Haaland scored for City. The match data lists the goals as follows.

• 37′: Lukeba turns the ball into his own net, 0-1.
• 49′: Ridle Baku scores, assisted by Brajan Gruda, 1-1.
• 58′: Enzo Fernandez scores, assisted by Iliman Ndiaye, 1-2.
• 61′: Antonio Nusa scores, assisted by Christopher Nkunku, 2-2.
• 78′: Erling Haaland scores, assisted by Elliot Anderson, 2-3.

Leipzig therefore showed real character after the own goal. However, City answered each setback, and Haaland’s strike settled it. In addition, the two goals between the 58th and 61st minutes came within three minutes of each other.

How did the match unfold in Leipzig?

City took the lead through an own goal, but the game turned into a scramble after half-time. Leipzig had been booked twice before the break, with Christoph Baumgartner picking up a card in the 17th minute and Baku in the 33rd. Then Lukeba’s unlucky touch in the 37th minute gave City a lead that they had not forced with a clear shot.

The restart changed the tempo. Baku levelled four minutes into the second half, only for Fernandez to put City back in front nine minutes later. Moreover, Nusa pulled Leipzig level again after Nkunku, who had replaced Baumgartner in the 57th minute, set him up. Meanwhile, Neil El Aynaoui had been booked in the 48th minute, and David Raum followed in the 77th.

Haaland decided the match with his goal in the 78th minute. Consequently, Leipzig had to chase the game for the last quarter of an hour. They changed three more players by the 74th minute, but they could not create a fourth equaliser. Jeremy Doku and Abdukodir Khusanov were booked late for City, as the visitors ran down the clock.

What did the match statistics show?

City had 64 percent of possession and the higher expected-goals figure, 2.26 to 0.91. The visitors completed 611 of 676 passes. Leipzig, by contrast, completed 305 of 361.

Leipzig actually had more shots, with 14 against 12 for City. Six of them were on target, against five for City. However, the expected-goals gap shows that City’s chances were better. All 12 of City’s shots came from inside the box, while Leipzig took four from outside it. In addition, Leipzig committed 20 fouls to City’s seven, and the home side collected four yellow cards to City’s two.

The keepers were busy. Leipzig’s goalkeeper made three saves, and City’s made four. Leipzig won five corners to City’s three, and City were flagged offside five times to Leipzig’s three. Therefore, the numbers describe a contest that was closer than the possession split suggests.

What were the line-ups in RB Leipzig vs Manchester City?

Leipzig started in a 4-3-3 and City started in a 4-1-4-1. Leipzig’s starters were Maarten Vandevoordt, Ridle Baku, Willi Orban, Castello Lukeba, David Raum, Neil El Aynaoui, Christoph Baumgartner, Emanuel Banzuzi, Brajan Gruda, Romulo and Antonio Nusa. City started with Gianluigi Donnarumma, Matheus Nunes, Abdukodir Khusanov, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly, Elliot Anderson, Phil Foden, Enzo Fernandez, Rayan Cherki, Iliman Ndiaye and Erling Haaland.

Referee Marco Guida was in charge. Both teams used five substitutes. Foden made way for Jeremy Doku in the 64th minute, and Ruben Dias replaced Matheus Nunes in the 79th. Then Ayyoub Bouaddi, Mateo Kovacic and Allan came on at 83 minutes for Anderson, Fernandez and Ndiaye.

What does the result mean for the Champions League table?

City are seventh on nine points with a goal difference of plus five, and Leipzig are 30th on three points. City have scored 12 and conceded seven in four matches. Leipzig have scored five and conceded 11, so their goal difference is minus six.

UEFA’s league-phase explainer confirms that the top eight go straight to the round of 16, while teams from ninth to 24th enter a play-off round and the rest are eliminated. City are inside the top eight, but Liverpool, Club Brugge, Sporting CP, Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund are also on nine points. As a result, the margin is thin. Leipzig, on the other hand, sit six places below the cut-off, because PSV Eindhoven hold 24th place on four points. Look ahead with our Champions League predictions, and follow every score on live scores.

What is the head-to-head record after this match?

Manchester City have now won five of the seven meetings between the clubs, Leipzig have won one, and one ended level. Before this game, City had won four of six, with their last meeting in Manchester in November 2023 finishing 3-2. Wednesday’s result was another 3-2 win for the visitors.

In addition, the sides have now met in the Champions League seven times, always in that competition. Leipzig’s only win came at home in December 2021, when they won 2-1. Consequently, this result extends City’s edge, although Leipzig made them work for it.

How have the teams been playing recently?

Leipzig came into the match on a run of wins at home, while City arrived on a poor domestic run. Leipzig beat Schalke 2-0 on 31 October and won 2-1 at Rot-Weiss Essen in the DFB-Pokal on 27 October. City, however, lost 1-0 at home to Brighton on 31 October and drew 2-2 with Brighton in the League Cup on 28 October. They also lost 2-1 to Aston Villa on 24 October.

The win therefore ends a difficult patch for City. They are second in the Premier League, three points behind Arsenal on the preview data. They visit Nottingham Forest on Saturday, 7 November, at 19:30 SAST. Our Premier League predictions page tracks that title race.

RB Leipzig vs Manchester City FAQ

City then lost 3-1 at Nottingham Forest on 7 November, which our Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City report covers.

City’s next league game is at Nottingham Forest; read our Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City preview.