29th matchday
Leipzig (dpa) – RB Leipzig has probably finally thrown TSG Hoffenheim out of the race for the Champions League and extended its winning streak to a dozen.
The runners-up in the Bundesliga won 3-0 (3-0) against the heavily weakened Kraichgauer and remained unbeaten in the twelfth game in a row across all competitions. While Leipzig consolidated fourth place, Hoffenheim in sixth place, now seven points behind RB and six games remaining, has to bury all hopes of the premier class.
Leipzig got off to a dream start in front of 35,112 spectators. Christopher Nkunku scored his 17th league goal of the season in the fifth minute, which also withstood a lengthy offside check by the video referee. National player Marcel Halstenberg (20th) increased the lead to 2-0 in his first starting XI appearance in almost eleven months, Dominik Szoboszlai (44th) decided the game practically shortly before half-time.
Tedesco satisfied
“It was a good performance from the start,” praised RB coach Domenico Tedesco, who was particularly pleased about Halstenberg’s comeback. The goal scorer for the 2-0 was also beaming. “I felt good, the team did well – it was terrifically easy!” Said Halstenberg on the DAZN steaming service. “I wanted to help the team, that’s what I did with my goal. I’ll just keep going,” promised the returnee.
After the intense European Cup game against Bergamo, Tedesco changed his starting XI to five positions, bringing along Halstenberg Szoboszlai, Emil Forsberg, Nordi Mukiele and Mohamed Simakan from the start. His colleague Sebastian Hoeneß was forced to change his formation because he had to compensate for eight suspended, injured or corona-ill players.
Szoboszlai got off to a great start with a free-kick to Nkunku. The France international hooked in again, then dropped the ball in the bottom right corner. Referee Bastian Dankert initially ruled offside, the video referee Benjamin Cortus corrected the goal. Shortly thereafter, Forsberg (9th) had too much back position with his header and missed the second goal.
Halstenberg celebrated
When this happened anyway, it got emotional. Halstenberg hit the ball that landed rather accidentally with his left foot so perfectly that TSG goalkeeper Oliver Baumann had no chance. The whole team celebrated Halstenberg in front of the almost empty guest block. Due to an injury, the defender was last in the starting XI on May 22, 2021 – and is now advertising for the extension of his expiring contract.
The game didn’t really knock any fan off their feet, Hoffenheim was too harmless, and RB subsequently limited themselves to controlling the game. The third goal was worth seeing again when Nkunku headed the ball into the middle from a long cross, where Szoboszlai rolled his right foot into the goal. Tedesco applauded his team as soon as the half-time whistle blew and gave Szoboszlai an appreciative slap on the back as he walked into the dressing room.
The second half initially went like many games in which one team clearly leads. Hoffenheim almost completely stopped defending themselves, Leipzig controlled even more and tied a ribbon around many passes. Tedesco used this to rest some of the regulars with a view to the second leg in Bergamo and took Nkunku and Laimer off the field early.
Forsberg caused the first excitement after 70 minutes when he only had to push the ball into the goal from eleven meters. However, the Swedish international threw the ball into the Leipzig night sky.