I’m ear to stay
Jack joy as he nets first Champs League goal
JACK GREALISH scored a superb goal to show he can be the difference for Manchester City in the Champions League.
But boss Pep Guardiola was still not happy.
Grealish lit up his Champions League debut with a wonderful solo effort as City’s £100million record signing cut in from the left to curl home a beauty.
His manager’s response was to pull Grealish over and give him an animated tactics talk.
Guardiola also bawled in Riyad Mahrez’s face at 4-2 and was clearly unhappy with this curate’s egg of a performance from his side in his 300th game in charge.
As great as City were going forward, Christopher Nkunku capitalised on some slack defending to score a hat-trick and make it a more nervy evening than it should have been.
Still, Grealish can be pleased with his night’s work as he also laid on the opener to take his City tally to two goals and two assists.
He said: “I loved it. For the past few weeks I couldn’t wait for this game. It had absolutely everything.
“I’m delighted to come away with the three points – and the goal and assists.”
RB Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch feared his side were not ready to face City at the Etihad after they were thumped 4-1 by Bayern Munich at the weekend, a third league defeat in four games. And his fears were confirmed when City took a 16th-minute lead through Nathan Ake.
Grealish whipped a corner to the edge of the six-yard area and Ake came steaming in to power home a header.
The home side bagged a second in the 28th minute. Kevin de Bruyne swung in a cross from the right and Leipzig defender Nordi Mukiele headed into his own net as he attempted to nod the ball back to keeper Peter Gulacsi.
Leipzig pulled one back in the 42nd minute. Emil Forsberg crossed to the back post where Mukiele partly atoned for his blunder by nodding back for Nkunku to head home.
City restored a two-goal advantage in the second minute of first-half stoppage time. It came from the penalty spot when Lukas Klostermann blocked Ferran Torres’ header with his arm and Mahrez fired home the spot-kick.
Leipzig took advantage of more slack marking six minutes into the second half as Nkunku headed home his second.
Cue Grealish to restore order in the 58th minute as he cut inside Tyler Adams before curling his shot into the far corner.
Nkunku completed his hattrick in the 73rd minute when City went to sleep again, sneaking in to score with an angled shot.
This was more like basketball than football and Joao Cancelo hit a screamer two minutes later before sub Gabriel Jesus made it 6-3 in the 85th minute.