RB Leipzig 2-1 Manchester City
André Silva capped the final matchday in Group A of the Champions League with another goal as RB Leipzig beat Manchester City to secure Europa League football in the new year.
Leipzig parted ways with coach Jesse Marsch at the weekend after suffering a third straight Bundesliga defeat, and a victory over one of the competition’s favourites was the ideal way to begin their recovery.
For Silva, the Champions League has proved more productive than the Bundesliga so far this season. The former Porto man has three goals as well as an assist from five starts and one substitute appearance. With goals against both Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, the Portugal striker has demonstrated his ability to score at the highest level against the big sides.
It is in the Bundesliga that the 25-year-old has been a little slower to hit his stride, with three goals so far from fourteen appearances. Having struck a remarkable 28 in the German top flight last season for Eintracht Frankfurt, Silva has found hitting the net consistently a little tougher since moving to Leipzig.
Silva’s goal on Tuesday evening against City – already qualified as group winners – was an encouragingly confident finish from a natural goalscorer. Receiving the ball from Emil Forsberg around fifteen yards from goal, Silva dispatched a clinical finish into the bottom corner away from the reach of the impressive Zack Steffen.
City boss Pep Guardiola opted to rest his Portuguese contingent, with Bernardo Silva and João Cancelo left out of the travelling squad, while Rúben Dias was introduced merely for the final few minutes. Bernardo made history on Monday when he became the first City man to earn the club’s Player of the Month award three times in a row.
By Sean Gillen
