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Sports & Cricket
Haaland late winner seals Man City 3-2 win at RB Leipzig
Erling Haaland scored a 78th-minute winner as Manchester City beat RB Leipzig 3-2 in the Champions League after twice being pegged back.
⚡Key Highlights
Premium
Erling Haaland scored a 78th-minute winner as Manchester City beat RB Leipzig 3-2 in the Champions League after twice being pegged back.
Special coverage and in-depth reporting from the Sports & Cricket desk.
Key analysis, background details, and full reporting below.
Erling Haaland struck in the 78th minute to give Manchester City a 3-2 Champions League win at RB Leipzig, after the German side had twice fought back from behind at the Red Bull Arena.
By StoryTimesNow News Desk — 05 November 2026, 9:01 AM IST
Symbolic illustration of a floodlit football stadium at night, with no players pictured.
Key Takeaways
Manchester City beat RB Leipzig 3-2 at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig on 4 November 2026, in Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League league phase.
City led twice, through a Castello Lukeba own goal and an Enzo Fernandez header, but Ridle Baku and Antonio Nusa levelled for Leipzig on both occasions.
Erling Haaland scored the winner in the 78th minute, ending City's run of two straight Premier League defeats and lifting them to seventh in the league-phase table.
What Happened?
Manchester City survived two RB Leipzig comebacks to win 3-2 at the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, in Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League league phase. Erling Haaland slid in at the back post to turn in Elliot Anderson's low cross in the 78th minute.
City took a fortunate lead against the run of play in the 37th minute, when Nico O'Reilly's low cross from the left was turned into his own net by Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba.
Leipzig came out firing after the break. Christoph Baumgartner, starting for the first time since recovering from injury, forced a save from Gianluigi Donnarumma before Ridle Baku levelled from a tight angle in the 49th minute, assisted by Brajan Gruda. City responded nine minutes later, when Enzo Fernandez headed in from ten yards after a cross from Iliman Ndiaye. Again, Leipzig answered immediately: substitute Christopher Nkunku, on for Baumgartner, set up Antonio Nusa, who drove the ball into the bottom corner in the 61st minute to make it 2-2.
The game then opened up before Haaland had the final word, sprinting forward to meet Anderson's cross with what TNT Sports described as only his 13th touch of the game. Raum then struck the crossbar with a free kick, Cherki also hit the woodwork for City, and a late Gruda finish was ruled out for offside.
Why Does This Matter?
For City, the win stops a slide. Maresca's side travelled to Germany having lost two Premier League games in a row for the first time since August 2025. Instead, Haaland's late intervention delivered three valuable league-phase points and, according to TNT Sports, moved City up to seventh in the 36-team table, inside the places that qualify directly for the last 16. For Leipzig, the defeat ends a proud home record: TNT Sports reported it handed them both their first home defeat and their first home goals conceded of the season, after five previous home wins in which they scored 19 goals without conceding, according to theScore.
The result also underlines Haaland's hold over this opponent: 13 goals in nine career appearances against Leipzig, his most against any opponent, and 62 goals in 61 Champions League games, according to DAZN, plus his 14th goal of the season in all competitions.
Important Details
Match: RB Leipzig vs Manchester City, UEFA Champions League league phase, Matchday 4, Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, 4 November 2026.
Result: RB Leipzig 2-3 Manchester City.
Manchester City goals: Castello Lukeba own goal, 37th minute; Enzo Fernandez, 58th minute; Erling Haaland, 78th minute.
Key moments: Raum hit the crossbar with a late free kick, Cherki hit the woodwork for City, and a late Gruda finish was ruled out for offside.
Match statistics: Leipzig had more shots, 14 to 13, according to Bundesliga.com.
Standings: City up to seventh, according to TNT Sports; Leipzig suffered their third defeat in four league-phase games.
Haaland record: 13 goals in nine games against Leipzig, 62 in 61 Champions League games, 14 this season, according to DAZN.
Background and Context
Leipzig arrived with a strong home record but a mixed European campaign, having won just one of their first three league-phase games. Their home form had been their foundation: five wins from five, 19 goals scored and none conceded, according to theScore. City, by contrast, arrived on the back of successive Premier League defeats, their first such run since August 2025.
What Happens Next?
City will look to consolidate a top-eight place, which brings direct qualification for the last 16. With four league-phase games still to play after Matchday 4, seventh place is a strong platform, but not yet a guarantee. Leipzig must regroup quickly: three defeats from four games leaves little margin for error in the race for the play-off places.
FAQs
What was the final score between RB Leipzig and Manchester City?
Manchester City won 3-2 at the Red Bull Arena on 4 November 2026. Lukeba's own goal and Fernandez's header twice put City ahead, Baku and Nusa levelled for Leipzig, and Haaland scored the winner in the 78th minute.
When did Erling Haaland score the winner?
In the 78th minute, sliding in at the back post to turn in Elliot Anderson's low cross.
Where do Manchester City stand in the Champions League after the win?
Seventh in the 36-team league-phase table, according to TNT Sports, inside the places that qualify directly for the last 16.
Why was Leipzig's home record significant?
Leipzig had won all five previous home games this season, scoring 19 goals without conceding, according to theScore. This was their first home loss and the first time they had conceded at home this season, according to TNT Sports.
Sources and Verification
Bundesliga.com, 5 November 2026: goal timeline and match details, including shots 14-13 to Leipzig, the late woodwork incidents and the disallowed Gruda finish.
Malay Mail / AFP, 5 November 2026: Haaland's 78th-minute strike and City ending their mini-slump with a 3-2 win at Leipzig.
TNT Sports, 4 November 2026: Haaland's 13th touch of the game for the winner, City up to seventh, and Leipzig's first home defeat and home goals conceded of the season.
theScore, 4 November 2026: City's two straight Premier League defeats before the game and Leipzig's five home wins, 19 goals scored and none conceded, beforehand.
DAZN, 4 November 2026: Haaland's 14th goal of the season, 13th in nine games against Leipzig, and 62nd in 61 Champions League games.
