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RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol powered residence a towering header in Seventieth-minute to earn them a 1-1 draw in opposition to guests Manchester Metropolis of their Champions League Spherical of 16 first leg on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old defender bagged the deserved equaliser after Metropolis’s Riyad Mahrez had slotted in following a Leipzig mistake within the twenty seventh minute.
There was some controversy on the finish with Metropolis wanting a penalty with the final kick of the sport after the ball appeared to bounce off Benjamin Henrichs’ palms within the field.
“Generally I’m actually happy,” mentioned coach Pep Guardiola. “I had a sense the sport can be determined within the second leg. I’ve plenty of respect for Leipzig.”
“Hopefully in three weeks we arrive in a great situation. We are able to do higher. Now we have to regulate some issues and to discover a approach to undergo.”
Requested a couple of post-match huddle along with his gamers, Guardiola mentioned he advised them to be happy with their efficiency.
“I mentioned ‘why you might have your heads down? Heads up, it was good’.”
Metropolis had 74% possession and virtually double the variety of their opponents’ assaults however have now drawn their final two video games after being held 1-1 by Nottingham Forest within the Premier League on Saturday.
Leipzig’s four-game successful run within the competitors got here to an finish. The return leg is in Manchester on March 14.
The guests, aiming to achieve the Champions League quarter-finals for a sixth straight season, had been in full management within the first half.
They went in entrance when Jack Grealish simply intercepted a weak Xaver Schlager go on the sting of the field and performed the ball by means of the center for Mahrez to complete.
Rodri ought to have doubled their lead three minutes later when he was left utterly unmarked on the far put up however his header sailed huge.
The hosts, who had been outplayed within the first half and solely had their first shot on track in stoppage time, got here out swinging after the break.
They need to have equalised when Benjamin Henrichs was left utterly alone within the field however despatched his low shot huge.
Metropolis keeper Ederson then palmed away an Andre Silva effort from shut vary earlier than additionally denying Dominik Szoboszlai within the 69th as Leipzig poured ahead.
The Germans had been rewarded a minute later when Marcel Halstenberg floated a cross into the field and defender Gvardiol outjumped his marker to move within the equaliser.
“Two totally different halves,” Leipzig coach Marco Rose mentioned. “We had been too passive within the first and simply ran after them. The second was totally different, precisely how we had imagined it and we put them below stress.”
(REUTERS)
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