Skip to main content

RECAP: Leipzig Fall to Leverkusen in Bundesliga Opener

photo by DPA/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

by Anthony J. Merced

RB Leipzig were brought back down to earth by Xavi Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen who defeated the 2023 Supercup Champions 3-2 at the BayArena to kick off the Bundesliga campaign. A rough first half saw Leipzig fall behind 2-0 before mounting a comeback that fell short despite many missed opportunities.

Leverkusen came in with a game plan that saw them possess the ball and pressure Leipzig into quick decisions. One such play led to a turnover that created the first goal. After giving up the ball in the midfield, Victor Boniface had trouble controlling the ball in the box but was poised enough to find Jeremie Frimpong who beat Leipzig keeper Janis Blaswich for the game's opening goal. 11 minutes later, Leverkusen doubled the league with a headed effort from Jonathan Tah.

Leipzig responded well before the end of the first half when Dani Olmo notched his first goal of the campaign with a header. The goal sent the away team into halftime feeling as if an equalizer was at hand. However, Leverkusen was not to be outdone as they came out to start the remainder of the game with more fire than their Leipzig counterparts. Frimpong controlled the ball well and found youngster Florian Wirtz, who's effort hit the crossbar and bounced into the net in the 64th minute, restoring the two goal lead.

Leipzig got one back from new-signing Lois Openda, who took down a pass from the head of Mohamed Simakan. Openda did get another opportunity minutes later but hit the post with an open net in front. Leverkusen held on to grab all three points and continue the blossoming rivalry between these two teams.

Leipzig will play their first home game next week against VfB Stuttgart at Red Bull Arena on Friday. 

STARTING XI:

RB Leipzig: Blaswich; Henrichs, Simakan, Orban, Raum, Seiwald (62' Kampl), Schlager (84' Carvalho), Simons (62' Lukeba), Werner (62' Poulsen), Openda (75' Forsberg), Olmo

Bayer Lekerkusen: Hradecky; Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba, Frimpong (78' Arthur), Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo, Hofmann (89' Arimi), Wirtz (75' Andrich), Boniface (89' Hlozek)

SCORING SUMMARY:
24' (Bayer Leverkusen) Jeremie Frimpong assisted by Victor Boniface
35' (Bayer Leverkusen) Jonathan Tah
39' (RB Leipzig) Dani Olmo
64' (Bayer Leverkusen) Florian Wirtz assisted by Jeremie Frimpong
71' (RB Leipzig) Luis Openda assisted by Mohamed Simakan

DISCIPLINE:
62' (RB Leipzig) Nicolas Seiwald - YELLOW CARD
69' (Bayer Leverkusen) Victor Boniface - YELLOW CARD
81' (RB Leipzig) Castello Lukeba - YELLOW CARD

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Injury Update: Marcucci and Vanzeir Shine; Morgan Still Recovering

photo by Matt Kremkau by Anthony J. Merced As preseason winds down with one game left to play, the players ready and available for Sandro Schwarz become more clear. Dante Vanzeir, who ended his 2023 with a back injury, has seemingly found the form the team hoped to get last year and goalkeeper AJ Marcucci looks ready to prove himself as an MLS goalkeeper with a solid performance on Wednesday. While there are positives from players coming back from injury, one player who still appears to be looking for fitness is Lewis Morgan. The 2022 top scorer for the Red Bulls, saw himself on the sidelines for most of 2023. Now, in preseason, he finds himself still working towards fitness according to head coach Sandro Schwarz. "We don't make risks for him," said Schwarz when asked if Lewis would feature in the team's last preseason game. "He's only in team training since two days. Tomorrow we have recovery training and on Friday one team session on the field. He will be t...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more