A mistake by keeper Alexander Nübel turned the game around: VfB Stuttgart led on Friday evening (08/25/2023) at RB Leipzig, but in the end got under the wheels properly.
With the 5:1 (0:1) Leipzig averted the threatened false start after the defeat in Leverkusen (2:3). RB captain Willi Orban then analyzed: “We started the second half well and then deservedly won. That was fun. We know what we can do, we have such confidence.”
“A Brutal Evening”
Nübel, on the other hand, was sobered: “It was a brutal game, a brutal evening. In the end it’s very, very bitter that you lose 5-1. It hurts.”
It didn’t look like it in the first round, the guest, who played and counterattacked well, showed emphatically that the lead in the table after the first day of play was no coincidence.
Stuttgart started boldly and had their first double chance in the 6th minute. But Nübel clapped off Chris Führich’s diagonal shot and Serhou Guirassy put the rebound over the bar. Leipzig hardly had any orderly attacks, tried a lot, but was always open to counterattacks.
Guirassy scores on the second attempt
In the 35th minute, Guirassy again had his sights set on the visitors’ lead, but headed over the goal from close range and was completely free.
Seconds later, however, he was still able to cheer because sicvh Leipzig national defender David Raum made a major drop: his attempt to build up landed directly with Atakan Karazor, who passed on to Guirassy – after a brief body deception he pushed past Janis Blaswich to make it 1-0.
Rose sees yellow for complaining
As a result, Leipzig attacked, but did not give a clear concept and was unlucky several times with the decisions of referee Frank Willenborg. When going into the break, Leipzig coach Marco Rose freaked out briefly and received a yellow card from Willenborg.
After the break, Sturttgart initially remained the more dangerous team, but a serious mistake by Alexander Nübel turned things around. In a liberating shot, he shot the rushing Benjamin Henrichs, from whom the ball bounced into the goal to equalize (51st).
Four goals in 13 minutes
Seconds later, Nübel made a bad mistake again, but Lois Openda was offside when he supposedly scored the opening goal. But when Dani Olmo made it 2-1 in the 63rd minute with a well-placed shot into the right corner, the resistance from Stuttgart was broken.
The game was clearly decided within a few minutes: Openda made it 3-1 in the 66th minute, Kevin Kampl scored the fourth goal (74th) with a long-range shot deflected by Genki Haraguchi, Xavi Simons scored the final point two minutes later with an energetic performance – Nübel had actually already parried, but then allowed Simons to finish a second time.
Stuttgart receives Freiburg, Leipzig at Union
On Matchday 3, VfB Stuttgart will host SC Freiburg (Saturday, September 2, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.). RB Leipzig is challenged a day later against Union Berlin (5.30 p.m.).