RB Leipzig clinched their first win with a 2-1 win against Sporting Lisbon in their seventh Champions League game. But this doesn’t change anything about Leipzig’s early exit from the “premier league”.
Benjamin Sesko (19th minute) took the deserved lead against the Portuguese champions, who were without their top striker Viktor Gyökeres in the starting line-up. The fans, who weren’t exactly there in large numbers – there were 33,468 according to RB figures – then saw a Gyökeres goal. The substitute Swede (75th) scored the equalizer, which Yussuf Poulsen (78th) converted shortly afterwards into an RB lead.
Rose: “We need victory”
With the success against Sporting, Marco Rose’s recently stumbling team gained self-confidence for the important Bundesliga game on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) against champions Bayer Leverkusen. “It’s a deserved win for us because we were the better team in the first half. In the end, Sporting came into the game better“Leipzig’s coach said:”We are happy about this victory, we need it.“
300 Sporting fans in Leipzig – despite away ban of UEFA
By the way, Sporting were happy about unexpected support from the stands. The European association UEFA had actually imposed an away ban on Sporting fans after they had ignited and thrown pyrotechnics at FC Brugge on December 10th. However, around 300 supporters got tickets for the game via German channels. These were accommodated in the guest block in coordination with the police. At the invitation of RB, emergency services from the Magdeburg Christmas market attack were also in the stadium for free. A good 400 people accepted the offer.
Sesko with the lead for Leipzig
Overall, Leipzig was the team that set the tone. Leipzig’s first good combination on the right came after eight minutes, but Loïs Openda’s finish was too harmless. Things went better eleven minutes later. Christoph Baumgartner’s pass after winning the ball was intercepted, but the ball landed at the feet of Xavi Simons. The Dutchman served David Raum on the left side, after his equally flat and sharp cross, Sesko just had to hold out his foot centrally.
Both teams initially remained at about the same level, in the impressive game Maximiliano Araujo (29th) had the equalizer on foot. However, Baumgartner intervened in dire need. Shortly afterwards, Raum celebrated loudly, but the national player’s goal (32nd) was withdrawn after video evidence. Openda was offside.
Shortly before the break, Raum (43′) was there at the back and blocked a shot from Ivan Fresneda, who was standing free in the penalty area. The level of entertainment remained high. Simons (48th) went around two Sporting defenders in the penalty area, but shot over the already empty goal. Amadou Haidara (51′) failed to hit the post with his shot from distance.
Poulsen with the winning goal for Leipzig
Sporting coach Rui Borges had seen enough and brought on his star player Gyökeres in the 55th minute. It took about 20 minutes to get started. The Swede got the ball a good 25 meters in front of the goal, allowed RB defense chief Willi Orban to run with him briefly before leaving him standing and sending the ball into the corner – the sixth premier class goal in the seventh game for Gyökeres this season. Poulsen doesn’t have nearly as good a rating. But the RB attacker still scored for Leipzig to win.