The advertising signs around the perimeter of the pitch sporadically read ‘priceless’, but the only thing about this game which fit that description was the reminder of how much better the game has been since fans returned.
With the Covid situation escalating once more, RB Leipzig are one of the teams playing behind closed doors and viewers were served up the type of fixture everyone hoped had been consigned to 2020/21 for the most part: a backdrop entirely empty, soundless, soulless.
On the pitch it was barely any more emotive until the final 15 minutes, as the final Champions League group stage game ended in a 2-1 win for the German hosts.
The only jeopardy in the fixture came from Leipzig’s perspective, and even that was all-but-gone early on. They needed to match or better whatever result Club Brugge achieved at PSG in order to stay third and ensure Europa League football is on the agenda in the new year - but with Kylian Mbappe striking twice in Paris in the opening 10 minutes, the Bundesliga club’s staff no doubt knew they were safe in short order.
Head of that staff group was Achim Beierlorzer, appointed as interim boss following the weekend sacking of Jesse Marsch. The improvements, whether by his design or circumstance of the match, were apparent in Leipzig’s defensive organisation and the fact that they managed to keep hold of a lead: they have been in front at some stage during five of their six group stage games, but ended up winning only two. That’s why they’ll now be in Europe’s second-tier competition.
Leipzig have suggested they’ll name a permanent replacement for Marsch in the coming weeks; if this was Beierlorzer’s audition for the role, he certainly did all he could.
Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, had the luxury of rotating as he wished and taking a host of youngsters along for the ride, with top spot already assured. He opted to hand starts to those who hadn’t seen much first-team opportunity recently: the likes of Zack Steffen, Nathan Ake and Kevin de Bruyne, for example.
The Belgian made his first start since 6 November and the Manchester derby, and the rust accumulated over the past month was on show.
He was booked on the halfhour mark for apparently taking a free-kick too quickly, while his other major contributions were mainly from set plays and one beautiful through-pass. A few more minutes in forthcoming games and Guardiola will hope he’s back up to speed around the Christmas and New Year fixtures.
Of the other players coming into the side, goalkeeper Steffen was the standout - which highlights how City were lethargic and lacking incision for part of the game.
Konrad Laimer’s near-post effort was turned around the post by the American stopper, before he raced off his line to dive and tip the ball away from Andre Silva as he ran through on goal. There was little he could do though to deny Dominik Szoboszlai midway through the half, the Hungarian racing onto a pass, rounding Steffen and finishing for the opener.
The best came before the break, as Steffen again denied Silva a close-range header with a fine reaction stop. It was not the last time the Portuguese striker would feature prominently in the match, as he lashed in a second goal with 20 minutes left on the clock then was booted several yards into the air by Kyle Walker’s bizarre moment of frustration late on, resulting in a straight red card.
At the other end of the pitch, City’s chances came and went in training ground fashion: repeated patterns of build-up play, calls of the players easy to hear and no great emotion whether they went in, off-target or forced Peter Gulacsi into action.
Jack Grealish hammered one over on the turn, Phil Foden struck the post and Nathan Ake twice headed over in the first half. Riyad Mahrez found the back of the net with a smart diving header, but only after City were already two goals down.
A defeat, but a meaningless one in the greater scheme of things.
City head into the last 16, Leipzig will head into the Europa League. Walker won’t be with the Premier League side when they next feature in Europe but the Bundesliga outfit will hope their fans will be once more.
