Glenn Hoddle slams Man City defender Manuel Akanji for ‘switching off completely’ and allowing Lois Openda to give RB Leipzig an early lead during their Champions League clash

Glenn Hoddle has slammed Manuel Akanji for ‘switching off’ and allowing RB Leipzig to take an early lead against Manchester City during their Champions League match on Tuesday. 

He also suggesting that Akanji’s error that allowed Lois Openda to score the Bundesliga side’s opener was due to mixed instructions from Pep Guardiola, asking the defender to play two positions at once. 

Openda stunned the Cityzens in the opening 35 minutes of the match, netting twice inside 33 minutes – with both goals coming from defensive errors. 

He took his first in the 13th minute, capitalising on a long ball form goalkeeper Janis Blaswich, before running through the Man City defence to strike the ball past Stefan Ortega. 

And Glenn Hoddle has criticised Akanji for allowing Openda to spin away from him to go through one-on-one with the goalkeeper. 

Lois Openda scored twice inside 33 minutes, taking advantage of two defensive errors 

It left the Cityzens stunned, with Pep Guardiola’s side going in at half-time 2-0 down

‘He’s taken it really well,’ Hoddle said to TNT Sports on Openda’s finish. ‘It’s Akanji really, I don’t know where his mind was. 

‘This is all about mentality and he’s gone back in as a centre-back. Started in that midfield role. I think Pep’s put him back in there as a normal centre-back. But he’s gone back in as a centre back but he’s just switched off completely.

‘There’s a long ball and we’ve seen them play through the 18-yard line. It’s just one long punt from the keeper. Look where he’s [Openda’s] got in between the two centre-backs to start his run. It’s just so poor defending. 

While he criticised City’s poor defending, the TNT Sports commentator lumped praise on the Belgian striker for his superb finish. 

‘Openda puts it away really nice. Keeps a cool head. We’ve not seen him do that one all season but he’s finished it exceedingly well. 

‘He’s just kept a nice cool head. Has a quick glance and tucks it in the corner. City well, that’s really going to have to shake them up a bit. Pep will not be happy with that.’ 

Openda, who joined the club earlier this summer, hit back not long after scoring his 13th goal in all competitions this season. 

It came following a defensive mistake from Ruben Dias, with the 23-year-old spinning away from the City defender on the half-way line, before utilising his blistering pace to charge through on goal, shake off Josko Gvardiol, and place his shot in the bottom-left corner. 

‘What a wonderful, wonderful finish,’ Hoddle said on the second goal.

For his second, Openda brushed off Ruben Dias, before rounding Josko Gvardiol to place the ball into the bottom-left corner of the goal

City’s slow start left Pep Guardiola aghast on the touchline, with the Spaniard making several changes after half-time

But Erling Haaland would pull one back after the break after missing a big chance in the first half

‘Again it comes from a mistake. Dias has been like that all night. He’s been booked for one trying to get too tight too quickly. 

‘Sometimes you just have to let the striker have the ball. And three times that’s happened tonight. He’s tried to win the ball on the half-way line and there’s no real danger and he gets spun. Too tight just let him have it.

‘Gvardiol comes across. Sells himself, but this is really fantastic a little dummy [from Openda] and he sells him with the eyes. He shapes as if he’s going across the keeper. He’s still got a lot to do to score the goal. 

‘Gvardiol has got to make him go down the left channel but this is brilliant he shapes his body as if he’s going to go across the keepers left and just puts it back into the keepers left and it’s a wonderful finish. And they deserve it.’

After missing a clear-cut chance in the first half, Erling Haaland would pull one back for the Cityzens after the break to make it 2-1.  

More to follow…