The England midfielder played a decisive role as the treble winners came back from the dead to make it five Champions League wins out of five

Never write Manchester City off, even in games they barely need to win. That was the lesson here as the treble winners overcome a shabby first-half display and hauled themselves to a 3-2 victory that clinched top spot in their Champions League group.

Pep Guardiola’s side were unrecognisable in the first half as they lacked concentration and shipped two goals for the first time in a game all season, with Belgian striker Lois Openda capitalising on woeful defending from Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias.

City were 45 minutes from losing a first Champions League home game for five-and-a-half years but Guardiola must have given them a rollicking at the break as they came out a different side and Erling Haaland pulled a goal back – his sixth against Leipzig in 2023 – and then Phil Foden and substitute Julian Alvarez followed suit.

We rates Man City’s players from the Etihad Stadium.

Ortega: 6

Couldn’t do anything with the goals and dealt well with everything else that came his way.

Walker: 5

One of his poorest games of the season, caught out by Leipzig attackers speeding past him.

Akanji: 5

Started well but went completely to sleep for the first goal and was regularly given problems at the back.

Dias: 3

A 45-minute unbelievable that started with a yellow for a high foot, saw him get absolutely skinned for the second goal and then flirt with a second booking before being hooked off.

Gvardiol: 6

Got caught in the general malaise in the first half, could have done more to close down Openda for the second goal but never stopped running and popped up with the assist for Foden.

Rodri: 5

Strangely poor, sluggish and wasteful in possession and looking like the game was played around him.

Lewis: 6

Missed a good chance to score in the first half and struggled to stay involved in the action.

Foden: 9

Recovered from a flat first half to play a hand in every goal. Came alive in the second half, supplying Haaland before taking responsibility to score the equaliser and setting up the winner. The sign of a top class player.

Silva: 6

Back on the right for the first time in a while and was quiet, unable to have much influence on the game.

Grealish: 5

Not enough attacking the box, with too much play sideways or backwards on his return from illness. Not the best return after missing the Liverpool game although he also sustained a knock to the head. Upstaged by his replacement Doku.

Haaland: 7

Another game where he made a lot of runs behind and wasn’t found. Scored his 12th goal in his last eight games against Leipzig to pull City back into it but missed big chances either side of that.

Substitutes

Ake (for Dias, 46): 7

Instantly brought more calm and authority to the game, putting his stamp on the game.

Doku (for Grealish, 54): 7

Dribbles still weren’t in proportion to goal threat but he brought something that Grealish didn’t.

Alvarez (for Walker, 54): 7

Settled into the middle behind Haaland and will take confidence from his first goal in a while. 7

Gomez (for Gvardiol, 90)

Not used: Ederson, Carson, Stones, Phillips, Bobb