Alarm from the cops: The title hunters from RB Leipzig were kicked out of the Champions League places at the beginning of the hoped-for merry month of May in the Bundesliga. Coach Domenico Tedesco’s team lost 1:3 (1:2) at Borussia Mönchengladbach after a long period of poor performance and is only fifth with two games to go.
Breel Embolo (17th) and Jonas Hofmann twice (45th + 2/77th) scored for Borussia and spoiled the mood of the Saxons before the showdown for the Europa League final on Thursday at Glasgow Rangers. Coach Adi Hütter’s team also managed to reconcile to some extent with their own supporters after the relationship between the team and the fans had recently cracked.
Coach Domenico Tedesco’s team, which also has the cup final in front of their chests, only managed to equalize temporarily thanks to Christopher Nkunku’s 18th goal of the season (36th) and had to let SC Freiburg pass them in the table. The majority of the guests after the red card against Nico Elvedi (64th) didn’t help either.
As announced, Tedesco relied on his best eleven despite the semi-final highlight in Scotland. “We’re going for it,” the RB coach had promised before kick-off. But there was little to see of that at first: The guests, who were supported by just over 100 fans on the unloved Monday, hardly got a chance on the offensive, many bad passes prevented an orderly build-up of the game.
Gladbach fans protest against Leipzig
While a loud whistle concert sounded in protest against the RB construct when Leipzig possessed the ball, there was often confusion on the pitch. The lead came out of nowhere: with luck, the ball landed at Embolo, who stayed ice cold in front of Peter Gulacsi. It was the sixth goal for the Swiss in the second half of the season, five of them in the last six Bundesliga games.
However, there was hardly any mood, the weak season and the most recent derby defeat left their mark on the Borussia fans. “Fightless, willless, characterless – hopefully we’ll get rid of the mercenaries among you soon,” read one banner. However, in this phase it was rather the people of Leipzig who seemed listless and unimaginative.
Raise ten Gladbachers
But RB also had the first chance to score: Nkunku skillfully converted a nice pass from André Silva.
But Gladbach answered before the break: Embolo sent Hofmann, who ripped into the left corner.
After the break, Leipzig stepped up a gear. Yann Sommer deflected a header from Silva onto the crossbar (55′). After the red card because of an emergency brake against Elvedi almost only the guests played – but Hofmann completed one of the few relief attacks to 3:1.