RB Leipzig vs Celtic LIVE: Champions League result, score and reaction as Silva scores twice as Leipzig win
RB Leipzig 3-1 Celtic: Bhoys drops to the bottom of Champions League Group F with defeat in Germany
RB Leipzig earned their first Champions League points this season after a quickfire double from Andre Silva and Christopher Nkunku’s first-half strike sealed a 3-1 home win over Celtic.
Nkunku twice raced clear to find the net - his first attempt was ruled a fraction offside after a VAR check but the Frenchman made amends in the 27th minute, poking the ball past the advancing Joe Hart and slotting home from a tight angle.
The visitors got off to the perfect start in the second half, drawing level after two minutes when Furuhashi held off three Leipzig defenders before laying the ball off to Jota who scored with a composed finish.
Celtic got another reprieve from VAR when Dominik Szoboszlai’s superb long-range effort was ruled out just after the hour mark but Silva capitalised on a poor pass from goalkeeper Hart seconds later to restore Leipzig’s lead. Silva calmly fired past Hart again in the 77th minute after Celtic were undone by a long diagonal pass from Nkunku, which Mohamed Simakan met with a cushioned volley to the Portuguese striker.
Relive all the action as Celtic lose to RB Leipzig in the Champions League group stages:
Erling Haaland scores twice as Man City thrash FC Copenhagen in Champions League
After the first, Pep Guardiola turned to the bench shaking his head in disbelief, as if this was not what everyone in attendance at the Etihad had come to see. As if it wasn’t what everyone has come to expect.
After the second, the Manchester City manager rubbed his hands in glee, mouthing several ‘wows’ in the direction of his staff. You would have thought, at that point, that he would keep Erling Haaland on the pitch long enough to score a third.
But it turns out for Guardiola, not even maintaining one of the most extraordinary starts to life at a new club that any centre-forward has had in recent memory is as important as proper rest and rotation. Haaland was removed at half-time of this 5-0 victory over Copenhagen. Even so, it is now a remarkable 19 goals in 12 competitive games for City, and 28 goals in 22 appearances in the Champions League - as many as Ryan Giggs managed in 21 years.
Erling Haaland scores twice as Man City thrash FC Copenhagen in Champions League
Man City 5-0 FC Copenhagen: Haaland doubled in the first half as Pep Guardiola’s side maintained their 100 per cent Champions League record this season
Erling Haaland matches Lionel Messi to make it nine in a row for Pep Guardiola
Erling Haaland’s double against FC Copenhagen on Wednesday saw him match Lionel Messi for the longest scoring run under Pep Guardiola’s management.
The Norwegian has hit the ground running at Manchester City and has 17 goals in his last nine appearances, with three hat-tricks and at least one goal in each game.
Here, the PA news agency looks at how Haaland compares to Messi, as well as the previous longest runs for Guardiola’s City side:
Erling Haaland matches Lionel Messi to make it nine in a row for Pep Guardiola
Lionel Messi also managed to score for nine games in a row under Guardiola’s management at Barcelona in 2010.
Celtic’s Champions League hopes dented by RB Leipzig defeat
Earlier tonight Celtic slumped to defeat and now face an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages after a 3-1 Champions League loss against RB Leipzig.
Christopher Nkunku opened the scoring from a 27th-minute counter-attack after Celtic lost the ball following a short corner and, with captain Callum McGregor off injured, the visitors could not build on Jota’s equaliser.
Leipzig had just had a second goal disallowed following VAR’s intervention when goalkeeper Joe Hart presented the home team with the ball to allow Andre Silva to score the first of his two second-half goals.
The defeat leaves Celtic bottom of Group F with one point from three matches but they have both Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk to come at Parkhead in the next two games.
Celtic’s Champions League hopes dented by RB Leipzig defeat
RB Leipzig 3-1 Celtic: Andre Silva scored twice and Christopher Nkunku once as Celtic fall bottom of Group F
FT Man City 5-0 Copenhagen
FT Man City 5-0 Copenhagen
Erling Haaland has scored 28 goals in 22 appearances in the Champions League, a goals per game record of 1.27; there are 98 teams with a worse goals per game record than him in the competition.
Full-time: Man City 5-0 Copenhagen
90 mins: Sergio Gomez meets a floated corner on the volley and blasts it at goal but Kamil Grabara makes a great svae to turn the ball over the crossbar. He’s let in five goals and has been Copenhagen’s best player tonight.
The final whistle goes and City make it three wins from their three Champions League matches this season.
Man City 5-0 Copenhagen
87 mins: The game is winding down now. Just a few minutes left to play with City complete control.
Man City 5-0 Copenhagen
82 mins: Jack Grealish meets a cross from Riyad Mahrez on the volley and side-foots his effort into the deck where the ball bounces up and flies just wide of the right-hand post.
He’s desperate for a goal and deserves one for this performance tonight.
Man City 5-0 Copenhagen
79 mins: How many more can City score? Cole Palmer lifts the ball over to the left side of the are from the opposite wing and finds Gundogan who lifts an effort over the crossbar!
Just over 10 minutes to play, the home side could easily get one or two more before the close.
GOAL! Man City 5-0 Copenhagen (Alvarez, 76’)⚽️
76 mins: Julian Alvarez is off the mark in the Champions League. They step up the tempo and send Riyad Mahrez bombing into the box down the right side. He squares the ball into the six-yard area where Alvarez is free to guide it home!
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments