Esteve Hopes for Champions League Debut and a Pointed Reunion with City

RB Leipzig defender Maxime Esteve is hoping to make his Champions League debut, and a meeting with Manchester City would bring back a memory he has not been advertising. He scored two own goals at the Etihad Stadium last year, and he has not made much of that history with his new teammates.

Esteve treats it with a laugh. "Maybe they don't even know," he says, making light of a night that clearly still stings a little.

The fixture also carries a Haaland angle. Erling Haaland, now the centre of City's attack, is a name Leipzig supporters remember well from his time in Germany, so a return to the Etihad naturally draws attention to the past. For Esteve, though, the focus is on the present: earning his place in Europe's most prestigious competition and giving the Etihad memories less weight than the next opportunity.

Whether that opportunity comes against City will depend on the coaching staff's selection, and the details of his role remain unclear from what has been reported so far. What is certain is that the defender is ready to step onto a bigger stage, and that a reunion with his former ground will test whether he can turn a painful memory into a fresh start.