Mönchengladbach (dpa) – RB Leipzig still has to get used to a constant top level in three competitions. After the second Bundesliga defeat in a row, the aim of the renewed Champions League qualification for coach Domenico Tedesco’s team is in acute danger.
“That’s disappointing. We have big goals, we need points for that,” goalkeeper Peter Gulasci quarreled after the disappointing 1: 3 (1: 2) at Borussia Mönchengladbach on the streaming service DAZN.
Leipzig lost 2-1 to 1. FC Union Berlin on the last matchday and is only fifth in the Bundesliga with two games to go before the end of the season. “Now we have to win the last two games. It won’t be easy because our opponents are still at stake,” said coach Tedesco thoughtfully.
wasted effort
Augsburg and Bielefeld – the upcoming tasks in the league – are still fighting against relegation. And the cup finalist and Europa League semi-finalist from Saxony can’t handle resistance at all at the moment. “There are just too many gifts at this stage. It’s too cheap,” Tedesco complained after the deserved defeat against ten Gladbachers. Despite the red card for Nico Elvedi (64th minute), Leipzig tried in vain.
Instead, the mercilessly efficient Jonas Hofmann, who had already scored the 2:1 (45+2) shortly before the break, increased the final score in the final phase (77th). The first goal conceded by Breel Embolo (17th) was self-inflicted by Konrad Laimer in Leipzig. “We missed everything and lost the balls too quickly. That’s too cheap and wasn’t enough today,” complained Tedesco, who could only celebrate Christopher Nkunku’s equalizer (36′).
Worried about the Champions League
Tedesco’s team had already slept at times against Union. “We looked tired and were sluggish. Maybe it was a question of attitude – hard to say,” speculated Marcel Halstenberg. After getting into the cup final against Freiburg and beating Glasgow Rangers 1-0 in the semifinals of the Europa League, RB’s focus seems to be on other competitions at the moment. This is dangerous. Because according to the current status, RB would only be in the Champions League again in the coming season if they won the Europa League.
The Gladbachers, as Champions League round of 16 last season, can only dream of it at the moment, but at least have the prospect of a conciliatory end to the season. “It was important that we show a reaction. And today I also saw a very strong fighting performance,” said Gladbach coach Adi Hütter after the many setbacks and fan protests. At the end of Monday there was a round of reconciliation for the players in front of the fan stands, who had recently been clearly scolded. “We’ve also been shaken a lot this season – so keep the ball low,” warned Hütter, who still has the chance to reach the same level again in the remaining two games at Eintracht Frankfurt and against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – so as always in the past ten years. Only FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund managed to do that.