3-2! RBL Turn the Game Around and End Leverkusen’s Unbeaten Run!

A strong win against the defending champions!

RB Leipzig won 3-2 (1-2) at Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Matchday 2 of the Bundesliga after trailing 0-2, ending the historic winning streak commanded by Xabi Alonso.

RBL did not get off to a good start. First Piero Hincapie hit the crossbar (10′), then Amadou Haidara had to be substituted after Victor Boniface hit him on the head with an overhead kick (15′). After that, our coach Marco Rose was sent off for dissent (26′).

Benjamin Sesko missed a great chance to take the lead (32′). This would come to matter, as shortly after, Jeremie Frimpong (39′) and Alejandro Grimaldo (45′) scored for the home team. Shortly before the first half came to an end, Kevin Kampl scored a diving header (45’+7′).

In the second half, a header by Castello Jr. was initially disallowed for offside (52′), but then Lois Openda shot from a close angle through the legs of Bayer Leverkusen keeper Matej Kovar to make it 2-2 (57′). In the 80th minute, Openda sealed the comeback win with his brace, ending a formidable unbeaten run from Leverkusen!

Bundesliga | Bayer Leverkusen – RB Leipzig

Starting Lineups

B04: Kovar – Tapsoba (86′ Arthur), Tah, Hincapie – Frimpong (77′ Tella), Garcia, Xhaka, Grimaldo – Terrier (71′ Adli), Wirtz – Boniface (77′ Schick)

RBL: Gulacsi (C) – Henrichs (89′ Vermeeren), Bitshiabu, Klostermann, Castello Jr., Raum – Kampl (89′ Baumgartner), Haidara (15′ Seiwald) – Sesko (67′ Nusa), Openda (89′ Poulsen), Xavi

Substitutes B04: Lomb (GK) , Mukiele, Belocian, Andrich

Substitutes RBL: Vandevoordt (GK) – Elmas, Silva, Gebel

Goals

1-0 Frimpong (39′), 2-0 Grimaldo (45′), 2-1 Kampl (45’+7), 2-2 Openda (57′), 2-3 Openda (80′)

Yellow cards

Boniface (1st), Frimpong (1st), Tapsoba (1st) | Klostermann (1st)

Sending Offs:

Rose (26′, dissent)

Refereeing Team

1st Referee: Dr. Matthias Jöllenbeck (Freiburg)
1st Assistant: Mark Borsch (Mönchengladbach)
2nd Assistant: Marcel Pelgrim (Hamminkeln-Loikum)
4th Officer: Dr. Robin Braun (Wuppertal)
Video Assistant: Tobias Welz (Wiesbaden)
VAR Assistant: Eduard Beitinger (Bad Abbach)

Attendance

29.615 in the BayArena

A minute of silence for Christoph Daum

The long-tenured former Bayer Leverkusen manager, Christoph Daum passed away last weekend at 70 years of age. The stadium paid its tribute to the coach before kick-off.

6′ Pete has to intervene!

Bayer Leverkusen are obtaining their first chances via standard situations. A free kick taken on the right side found Edmond Tapsoba on the left edge of the box. Peter Gulacsi is able to spring into action and prevent any further danger.

11′ Haidara knocked out

Just after Piero Hincapié hit the crossbar with a header, Victor Boniface went for an overhead kick and struck Amadou Haidara on the head. Doudou was unconscious and had to be treated without needing assistance to leave the pitch of play. He was substituted for Nicolas Seiwald.

23′ Raum avoids complications

The local team keeps pressing and the Red Bulls find themselves fighting. David Raum clears a sharp cross from Martin Terrier before it can do any more harm.

26′ Rose is sent off

Referee Matthias Jöllenbeck shows our coach Marco Rose his first yellow and his second right after. Rose had complained after a foul was not called. Leipzig still have 11 players on the pitch, but are one man down.

32′ Sesko misses the 1-0!

A quick counterattack leads to our best chance so far: Lois Openda crosses from the right, Benjamin Sesko heads the ball but goes just wide of the left side of the goal.

39′ Bayer 04 take the lead

The local team are in the lead. Lukas Klostermann cleared a cross from Martin Terrier, but it went straight to Jeremie Frimpong. Leverkusen’s wide man entered the penalty box from the right, shakes off El Chadaille Bitshiabu and pushes the ball into the near corner.

45′ Grimaldo extends the lead

Leverkusen go up 2-0. A quick and productive combination between Terrier and Florian Wirtz became more than just another play for the highlight reel, after Alejandro Grimaldo made of it the insurance goal Leverkusen kept looking for.

45’+7′ Kampl puts us back in the game!

An equalizer just before the half-time whistle! Kevin Kampl take charge right from the beginning of the play. Benjamin Henrichs crosses the ball, finds Kevin, who scores with a header against his former club.

52′: Castello’s goal is disallowed!

After a corner by David Raum, Castello Jr. headed the ball into the right corner. But because Benjamin Sesko was offside and went for the ball, the goal was disallowed.

57′ 2-2! This time it counts!

After Leverkusen missed two good chances, Lois Openda was chirurgical! Benjamin Sesko found Lois in the box and Openda shot from a tight angle through the legs of Bayer goalkeeper Matej Kovar into the net.

67′ Inches away!

Benjamin Henrichs can’t connect well with the ball, meaning his shot goes off target. But Lois Openda almost got to the ball, missing by centimeters!

80’GOOAAAL for RBL!

We’ve turned the game around! Lois Openda does it again! Substitute Antonio Nusa played the ball to him in front of the penalty box, Lois aimed and hit the ball perfectly into the left corner with a powerful shot from mid-range.

86′ VAR says there’s no penalty

Castello Jr. accidentally hitting his opponent Patrik Schick in the face was deemed enough to check VAR. After the review, there was nothing that could require a penalty kick being called.