Foden leads the charge as City get back on track after two defeats

CITY have finally won in Leipzig.

- JOE BRAY

This has not been the happiest of hunting grounds for the Blues, but they ended two hoodoos last night, returning to winning ways after back-to-back defeats, and recording a first victory at the Red Bull Arena at the third attempt.

To do it, they revisited a pre-season tactic, as Rico Lewis shone in midfield for a performance that emphasised what a talent City have on their hands. Here he was, dominating a midfield in the Champions League when nobody else has managed to nail down a place in recent weeks.

Still, for all of the positives of this new-look system that centred around Lewis, City earned their win with Ro se two late goals straight from the blueprint of the eight successive wins that opened the season.

Leipzig had been warned more than once during the opening 24 minutes of Lewis' threat, but still couldn't cope with him when it mattered. The teenager had turned beautifully earlier after running into the area but had his shot blocked, and was finding plenty of space with Bernardo hugging the touchline.

Before that, he had given the ball away cheaply, before tracking back to win it back on the edge of the City area and setting his side on the attack - then winning a free kick in a dangerous position. Even a quarter into the match, Youssuf Paulsen felt the only way to stop Lewis was to haul him back by the neck.

Lewis complained, got up, and in the resulting move he picked up the ball in space again, fed it to Bernardo out wide and ran into the area. Bernardo found the run perfectly, Lewis' first-time cross almost perfect, and Phil Foden's improvised finish from just behind him bouncing over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Rodri's return helped settle a midfield that was poor at Wolves, with Lewis playing beyond his years and Foden picked for perhaps his most significant game as a number eight. It was certainly Lewis' biggest outing in midfield.