A pinball goal by Christopher Nkunku decided the DFB Cup final, Dominik Szoboszlai put the lid on it: RB Leipzig celebrated their title defense against Eintracht on Saturday (June 3rd, 2023) after a tough game 2-0 (0-0). Frankfurt.
The game in the Berlin Olympic Stadium had actually started quite energetically. RB created the first big chance in the 4th minute, Dominik Szoboszlai sent Timo Werner steeply, who had a clear path in the direction of Kevin Trapp. However, his conclusion from the half-left position was so feeble and out of place that the Eintracht keeper was able to easily absorb it.
But after that it got tough. Both teams showed that the video analysts had done a great job. On the Eintracht side, top star Randal Kolo Muani was very well protected, with Leipzig it was a similar story with Christopher Nkunku. Apart from a shot from the outside of the net by Kolo Muani in the 17th minute, both teams almost completely neutralized each other in midfield.
Two fallers, twice rightly no penalty
The only slight excitement were two scenes in which the respective fan curves wanted to see clear penalties. When Konrad Laimer tried to swallow a bit too transparently (20′), not even he himself complained. Even after a mini-touch from Laimer to Kolo Muani on the other side, World Cup referee Daniel Siebert immediately indicated “keep playing” (31′). – here, too, the video department in the Cologne basement correctly saw no reason to intervene.
It wasn’t until the 42nd minute that there was a sporty exclamation mark again. Via Dani Olmo and Laimer, the ball came perfectly through the intersection of the Frankfurt defense chain into Nkunku’s run, but he could still be blocked at the end – a cross pass to Werner, who was completely free on the left, would have been a better alternative for Marco Rose’s team.
A feast for orderly
Anyone who had hoped that the visors would be folded down a little in the second half was initially disappointed. Even after the break, things continued with two highly concentrated defensive bulwarks, who avoided any risk and kept order at all times – rarely has a cup final been so unspectacular to terribly boring over such a long period of time.
It was watching, waiting for the opposing team to make mistakes. After almost an hour, Leipzig offered a bit of space after losing the ball in the build-up, which Mario Götze used for a through ball to Kolo Muani. He wanted to cross again unselfishly in front of the goal, but only found the RB defense with Willi Orban and Lukas Klostermann.
Götze fails, Nkunku scores
Frankfurt was the somewhat braver of the two relatively active teams in this phase, but Götze found his champion in Janis Blaswich with a volley after Kolo Muani had put it down – he reflexively punched the ball out of the short corner.
It was not until the 71st minute that Leipzig came dangerously close to the penalty area again – and benefited from a double deflected ball. A rather harmless shot by Nkunku first hit Buta’s lower leg and then Evan Ndicka’s shin – Trapp was on his way to the wrong corner and could no longer prevent the impact.
Decision by Szoboszlai
After that, Frankfurt tried to take more risks, but couldn’t really flip the switch. Leipzig continued to defend with great concentration and put the lid on in the 86th minute. After Eintracht lost the ball in the build-up, Benjamin Henrichs made the game fast on the right, via Szoboszlai and Nkunku the ball came back to the Hungarian, who, with his well-known perfect shot from the right half, gave Trapp no chance.
Frankfurt then tried everything again, but at the latest when Blaswich made a strong save against Kolo Muani in the 88th minute, it was clear to the Frankfurt fans that the outgoing coach Oliver Glasner had not been given a farewell gift.