Manchester City v RB Leipzig player ratings: Ake 9, Grealish 8; Nkunku 9, Klostermann 4

Premier League champions begin Champions League campaign with a thrilling 6-3 win at the Etihad

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  MANCHESTER CITY PLAYER RATINGS: Ederson – 6. City’s No 1 had a mixed game. He made a number of good saves, but some of Nkunku’s goals should have been kept out. He was also lucky in the first half when Andre Silva was adjudged offside after having tapped the ball home. Reuters

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  Joao Cancelo – 8. The Portuguese full-back was excellent, making several effective clearances as well as many brilliant forward surges towards the opposition box. He capped off a great game with a stunning strike from outside the box. Getty Images

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  Ruben Dias – 6. Last year’s PFA player of the year had a comfortable game at the back. He made some good headed clearances and started attacks with some incisive passes from the back. PA

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  Nathan Ake – 9. Scoring his second ever City goal, the Dutch defender was probably the home side’s best player. He opened the scoring with a thundering header from a corner before making a great block as Angelino attempted a dangerous cross into the box. Getty Images

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  Oleksandr Zinchenko – 6. The Ukrainian left-back made an important headed clearance to deny a Leipzig counter-attack in the first half. He also offered several teasing passes down the wing. Getty Images

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  Rodri – 7. Sitting in the defensive-midfield role, the Spaniard showcased some great distribution as he helped the transition from defence to attack. Getty Images

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  Kevin De Bruyne – 7. The Belgian was in full flow with a series of flicks and crosses. He supplied a great through ball to Torres, who was ruled offside. Getty Images

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  Bernardo Silva – 6. Taken off after a quiet game. He put in some solid defensive work to try and keep the Leipzig attackers at bay, but an otherwise quiet night for the Portuguese midfielder. Getty Images

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  Riyad Mahrez – 7. The Algerian put to use his excellent dribbling skills. He drove into the box on numerous occasions and caused problems for the opposing defence. He scored a brilliant penalty, too. Getty Images

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  Ferran Torres – 5. The Spaniard didn’t have his best game but continuously pressed the defence. He had a goal ruled out for offside and he was later substituted. Getty Images

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  Jack Grealish – 8. A sterling European start for Grealish who netted a debut goal. He showed off his usual trademark dribbling and footwork and earned several fouls in the process. His corner placement was great in the first half as he got an assist for Ake’s goal. Getty Images

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  SUBS: Fernandinho (59’) – 7. He made several key tackles and won a number of free-kicks to help his side out as they tried to see out the game. Getty Images

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  Ilkay Gundogan (59’) – 5. Gundogan didn’t have much of a presence. He had one real chance on goal, but missed the ball when it was fed to him. AP

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  Phil Foden (71’) – 6. Foden supplied a few teasing corners and added to the entertainment late on as City threatened to run riot late on. Getty Images

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  Raheem Sterling (72’) – 7. The Englishman played through the middle and caused chaos for the Leipzig defenders. Getty Images

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  Gabriel Jesus (81’) – 7. After coming on late into the game to replace Torres, the striker managed to grab a goal from a tap in at the back post to get City’s sixth of the night. Getty Images

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  RB LEIPZIG PLAYER RATINGS: Peter Gulacsi – 4. The Hungarian goalkeeper had a night to forget. He should have done better for Ake’s header, though he got a hand to it. AFP

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  Angelino – 6. The former City player had a good start to the game with some dangerous attacking runs, while his crosses worried the City defence. His performance dropped in the second half and got sent off after picking up two yellow cards. Getty Images

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  Willi Orban – 5. The defender let several runs go past him which should have been stopped, but he simply failed to step up against rampant opposition. Getty Images

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  Emil Forsberg – 5. He made some good runs on the wing and delivered a few crosses, one of which ended up with a goal at the end of it. Getty Images

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  Tyler Adams – 6. The American midfielder was dominated in the middle, and he was guilty of several fouls on Grealish. Getty Images

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  Lukas Klostermann – 4. Gifted City a penalty following a handball. Made one good block to thwart a Grealish shot but generally poor overall. AFP

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  Christopher Nkunku – 9. Leipzig’s only real star performance came from the Frenchman who got the club’s first ever Champions league hat-trick. City couldn’t deal with his headers in the box and his third goal was a brilliant shot which he tucked away into the bottom corner. Getty Images

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  Nordi Mukiele – 5. The Leipzig No 22 doubled City’s lead with a headed own-goal. He couldn’t deal with City’s crosses overall, though did provide a headed assist for Nkunku. Getty Images

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  Dani Olmo – 7. He had a nice attempt on the volley which finished over the bar, but his highlight was an assist for Nkunku’s second. Getty Images

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  Konrad Laimer – 4. The Austrian went missing in the middle of the park. His best moment was a switch to Olmo, which led to a goal. AFP

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  Andre Silva – 5. Leipzig’s summer singing started the game with a sloppy challenge on Ederson and he went on to miss a number of chances. Found the net but the goal was chalked off. Getty Images

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  SUBS: Amadou Haidara (60’) – 5. Had minimal impact. Offered a couple of tackles but added very little to the game. Reuters

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  Yousef Poulsen (60’) – 6. One of the better substitutions. He was instantly competitive and provided an assist with the outside of the foot. Getty Images

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  Dominik Szoboszlai (61’) – 6. The Hungarian added energy into Leipzig’s play and he had a shot from long range which sailed just over the bar. EPA

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  Brian Brobbey (72’) – N/A. The Dutch attacker came on late and offered very little, apart from his pace. Getty Images

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  Josko Gvardiol (81’) – N/A. Managed some good jockeying of the opposition attackers in his own half. Getty Images

Christopher Nkunku scored a hat-trick for RB Leipzig but ended on the losing side in a nine-goal thriller as Manchester City, last season's Champions League runners-up, made a positive start in Group A with a 6-3 win at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Defender Nathan Ake put City ahead in the 16th minute with a header from a Jack Grealish corner and Pep Guardiola's side doubled their lead 12 minutes later when a Kevin De Bruyne cross was headed into his own net by Leipzig defender Nordi Mukiele.

The German side got back in the game with a 42nd-minute header from Nkunku, only for City to restore their two-goal advantage on the stroke of halftime with a Riyad Mahrez penalty.

Leipzig were not deterred, though, and Nkunku reduced the deficit again in the 51st minute heading in a Dani Olmo cross, only for Grealish to mark his Champions League debut with a fine solo goal.

But once again French forward Nkunku kept the game alive, completing his hat-trick with a crisp drive after being set up by Yussuf Poulsen.

Incredibly, City responded immediately with an unstoppable long-range drive from Portuguese full back Joao Cancelo and any hopes the visitors had of a comeback ended when they went down to 10 men when former City full back Angelino was sent off in the 79th minute.

Substitute Gabriel Jesus added the sixth from close range five minutes from time.

Harry McBain provides the player ratings from the Etihad in the photo gallery above. To move on to the next photo click on the arrows or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.