Leipzig Grab Sweet Revenge in Group Stage Win Over PSG

RB Leipzig grabbed a measure of revenge in their 2-1 home win over Paris Saint Germain on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League group stage. The win moves them into a tie for first place in the group with Manchester United and reinvigorates their campaign which narrowly avoids a tailspin.

"I am very happy that we were able to keep three points in Leipzig," said manager Julian Nagelsmann. "A meaningful step in the right direction. We didn't start well tonight, we invited PSG to score with our own mistakes. They really put the pressure on from the start."

The game started poorly for Leipzig. A back pass gone astray for Dayot Upamecano turned into PSG's opening goal in just the sixth minute. Veteran winger Angel Di Maria scored the goal and it felt as if a repeat of last season's semi-final was inevitable. Leipzig did respond with an attempt in front of goal by Amadou Haidara minutes later but another veteran, Keylor Navas, was more than up to the task.

Still, Leipzig pushed on and found the equalizer in the 41st minute. Christopher Nkunku found the ball at the top of the box and blasted an effort past Navas. The team and manager Julian Nagelsmann appeared rejuvenated after the goal and carried that momentum into the second half.

"At half time we sat down together and agreed that we have to win this game," said Nkunku. "That's to Emil's (Forsberg) penalty we were able to do that - deservedly so."

The 55th minute proved to be the turning point after a cross into the box hit the arm of a PSG defender. At first, the game played on despite protests from Leipzig players. The referee eventually went to VAR and a penalty was awarded. The conversion by Forsberg made it 2-1 and gave Leipzig the space they needed to find a victory.

"I am pleased that we deserved to win," said Nagelsmann. "We will set out to win in Paris as well. With Basaksehir winning tonight, everything is a little more open and interesting in the group."

Leipzig will flip this fixture and travel to Paris in two weeks for the fourth game in the group. Before then, the team will return to play in the Bundesliga against SC Freiburg as they hope to regain their winning form and push Bayern Munich to the brink.

Comments

Red Bulls Announce Fan Experience Improvements

by Garry Redman On top of the theme nights announced this season, something new has been added the next time the season ticket holders and supporters step inside The Cathedral... The state-of-the-art LED lighting system at Red Bull Arena will provide higher on-field light levels for enhanced visibility and safety and introduce new entertainment features that heighten the overall experience for spectators. Built around Musco's Total Light Control—TLC for LED™ technology, the new system is designed to provide exceptional playability and uniformity while minimizing glare. Cleaner, whiter light will elevate the broadcast quality for fans watching around the world. Color-changing fixtures and Show-Light® Pro entertainment technology will allow the Red Bulls to wash the stadium in different colors and synchronize light shows to music, heightening the fan experience during goal celebrations, player introductions, and other big moments. If you have no idea what this means, cl...

Quotes: Red Bulls Show Promise, But More Work Need To Be Done

photo by Matt Kremkau Sixty seconds in a ninety-minute match. That’s all it took for Sporting Kansas City to ruin the Opening Day festivities at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night. The supporters in attendance saw crisp passing and a stout defense that kept the visitors at bay, despite not having striker Alan Pulido in the starting lineup. But significantly, the supporters were buoyed by a return to that press that has last seen since Jesse Marsch was in charge. But that was the first 45 minutes. In the second half, things turned for the better and then, shockingly, worse for the home side that evening. Midfielder Caden Clark, who scored the opening goal, spoke about the match as a whole: I’ve kept that in the back of my mind, actually, not scoring at home. I really wanted to do that in front of the supporters, and it was great to do that in front of the few that were here tonight who brought the noise. When I scored that [goal] the place was shaking, and you feed off of that and gai...

Editorial: New York Red Bulls are Fun to Watch

photo by Matt Kremkau by Daniel Feuerstein The New York Red Bulls 2024 season starts off and running. In their first three matches, they have looked different from their last five to six seasons of doom and despair when trying to attack or have a lapse in judgment on the defensive end. The two big editions for the club are undoubtedly the imports from Sweden in Centerback Noah Elle & attacking midfielder Emil Forsberg. Two players who are a part of the Swedish National Team have started off well in Major League Soccer. We all knew what we were getting right away from Forsberg. A high-energy creative and attacking midfielder who was already bought in from day one, when Director of Sport Jochen Schneider went to Leipzig and brought him over. He was already committed to making the trip to the United States to play his brand of soccer, and so far he hasn't disappointed. Even though he has come close three times off of free kicks, hitting the crossbar twice and being saved by the ke...

Red Bull News Network

Search This Blog