Xabi Alonso is one of those coaches who doesn’t often give a glimpse into their emotional world. The Spaniard only expresses his emotions during the game on the sidelines, after which he is able to regain his composure surprisingly quickly. It was no different in Leipzig, despite the nerve-racking game before. “We saw a very intense game, it could have gone in any direction,” said the coach. That was an astonishingly sober assessment after 90 anything but sober minutes.
Leipzig and Leverkusen played a high-class football game, which the league leaders won 3-2 with a late goal. Of course he won, one is now inclined to say. Leverkusen is the only team to remain undefeated at the top of the table after 18 matches. And of course with a late goal. Just like last week in Augsburg.
Seven days have passed since the last matchday, but it was as if time had simply stood still in Leipzig – much to the annoyance of RB coach Marco Rose. “These are small moments that are crucial at this level. Today it doesn’t feel good. We have to learn to win football games. More than we already do,” Rose said.
Top game with a lot of intensity
His team had recently played as well against Eintracht Frankfurt as they did against Leverkusen, creating many scoring chances and yet losing 1-0. Afterwards, Rose came to the realization that a lack of clarity could ultimately be the decisive factor in constantly remaining behind the top duo of Leverkusen and Munich, which he now saw painfully confirmed again.
Leipzig started like a team that had something to make up for: fast, direct and very toxic. Benjamin Sesko was stopped in the penalty area by Piero Hincapie at the last moment, and Lois Openda then shot powerfully at the Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky. It was already clear with what intensity this top game would be played.
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Leverkusen didn’t even have time to shake themselves, the ball was already in the goal. Via the Sesko and Xaver Schlager stations he reached the foot of Xavi Simons, where he naturally feels very comfortable. The Dutchman took the half-high pass out of the air with his right, skillfully placed the ball on his left foot and shot it straight into the corner. Simons has already scored one or two notable goals this season, but this goal still gets a place in the top half of the hit list.
Just a few moments later, Sesko narrowly missed Leipzig’s second goal and it would certainly have been interesting to see how Bayer would have reacted to their first truly threatening deficit of the season. But that didn’t happen, also because Hradecky was always on guard. Once he rushed out of the gate just at the right moment against the charging Openda. Leverkusen needed more than half an hour to recover. But then the league leaders’ game became more secure. Jonas Hofman was the first Leverkusen player to approach the Leipzig goal with a long-range shot.
Openda quickly makes it 2-1
Leipzig’s lead was deserved, but the longer the first half went on, the more open the game became. At first only visible visually, this development was expressed in goals immediately after the break. With a very flat and very precise entry from the left side by Alejandro Grimaldo, the ball rushed through the entire Leipzig penalty area. Substitute Nathan Tella easily equalized.
Now the game threatened to tip over, but a moment of sublime beauty turned the result back in Leipzig’s favor. Simons intercepted a wayward Leverkusen corner. His teammates immediately swarmed out to the left and right at top speed. One of them was Dani Olmo, who was played by Simons. Olmo moved towards the goal, but Bayer’s armada threatened to catch up with him.
Equalizer to make it 1-1 shortly after the break: Leverkusen’s Nathan Tella and Patrik Schick celebrate. : Image: Reuters
When some of the hunters were at his height, he didn’t cut or move into the middle, but played a pass that only Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso could once play. Perfectly placed, with just the right sharpness into the penalty area, where the rushing Openda made it 2-1. What no one suspected: it would be Leipzig’s last successful offensive of the evening.
There was no hint of hecticness on the Leverkusen side, Bayer now pushed RB into their half and, following a corner, made it 2-2 with a powerful header from Jonathan Tah. “We stayed calm and wanted to win the game. That’s what sets this team apart,” said Jonas Hofmann. As in the previous week in Augsburg, the decisive goal was actually supposed to come, again in stoppage time. Leipzig was once again unable to defend a corner, but Hincapie scored for the celebrated away win.