dhe Stuttgart Goalscorer Deniz Undav leaves RB Leipzig worried about their place in the Champions League. In a duel between two great teams and at the same time a false start to the new year, the Swabians celebrated an unexpected goal festival on Saturday with a score of 5:2 (2:1) against disappointing guests. Coach Marco Rose's Leipzig suffered a defeat in the third game after the winter break in the Bundesliga. On Sunday, the RB threatens to be left out of the top four. Borussia Dortmund would only need a single point against VfL Bochum to overcome the classification.
In front of 52,100 spectators, the goals of Benjamin Sesko (32nd minute) and Lois Openda (55th minute) were clearly not enough for the guests. Stuttgart Undav (30th/56th/75th) achieved it three times and this Saturday clearly left the absence of Stuttgart's top scorer, Serhou Guirassy, in the background. Enzo Millot (25th/penalty on hand) started the success for the Swabians, who until now had also not scored points in 2024. Jamie Leweling also scored (48th). The Swabians had already lost all four Bundesliga games without Guirassy, currently in the African Cup. They have now cemented their place in the premier class.
Rose's hope was not fulfilled. “Now we have to get back to normal and we need a result. Then we will be in a position to start a series,” the RB coach told Sky before the start of the match: “We are critical of ourselves, but on the other hand it is not about losing our nerve.”
Tennis balls on the soccer field.
VfB struggled to take advantage of their chances in the first two games after the winter break. After a somewhat cautious start, a handball penalty helped RB: referee Sven Jablonski first looked on the screen at the scene in which a header from Dan-Axel Zagadou hit the hand of RB defender Mohamed Simakan. Then came the penalty: Millot confidently converted in the left corner. RB goalkeeper Janis Blaswich chose the other side.
The Stuttgart fans had long since broken the silence of the first minutes. Tennis balls also flew onto the field in a new protest against the possible entry of investors into the German soccer league. Once the lead had been overcome, the home team continued with enthusiasm and the fans were quickly able to celebrate again: after Leipzig lost the ball in the center of the field, Hoeneß's team quickly advanced. Undav shot from outside the area – 2-0.
The visitors had little to offer in attack up to that point, but took advantage of their first opportunity just two minutes after Stuttgart's second goal. Sesko headed between the two VfB defenders, Waldemar Anton and Zagadou. However, the Swabians did not let themselves be deterred, they remained the more active team and had more opportunities through Maximilian Mittelstädt (37th) and Josha Vagnoman (41st) and, above all, Leweling shortly before the break. On the other hand, RB asked for a penalty after a duel with Openda, but referee Jablonski allowed the game to continue.
Although Leweling had missed the opportunity to make it 3-1 before the break, he did better shortly after the restart: Chris Führich crossed to Vagnoman, who passed the ball to Leweling, who Leweling fired with his toe into the goal. air. . Things continued quickly: RB was shortened again almost out of nowhere. Openda fired a long ball from Nicolas Seiwald into the top right corner. But VfB responded immediately: Undav headed in unmarked. The striker hadn't had enough.