The series is broken: Leverkusen loses to Leipzig 2:3.
Source: dpa / Federico Gambarini
RB Leipzig has dealt Bayer Leverkusen a severe blow in the Bundesliga: The Saxons won 3-2 (1-2) at the Werkself despite being 2-0 down, ending Leverkusen’s streak of 35 Bundesliga games without defeat. The last defeat up to that point had come on matchday 34 of the 2022/23 season, when they lost 3-0 at VfL Bochum.
Openda scores twice
Jeremie Frimpong (38th) and Alejandro Grimaldo (45th) had rewarded the German champions for a very strong first half with their goals on the second matchday. Before half-time, Kevin Kampl scored the equaliser with a header in front of almost 30,000 spectators (45th+7).
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In the second half, Leipzig clearly set the tone, with Lois Openda converting their superiority into an away win with a brace (57th/80th). Leipzig coach Marco Rose had already been shown a yellow-red card in the first half. Alexander Zickler took over Rose’s role on the sidelines.
After the surprisingly close 1-0 win in the DFB Cup against Carl Zeiss Jena during the week, Bayer coach Xabi Alonso admitted that his team was “not yet at 100 percent” – and that they would have to give their all in the match against RB, a match “like a Champions League match”. His team had obviously heard him.
Bayer gets off to a furious start
Led by Jonathan Tah, who wore the captain’s armband in the absence of the ill Lukas Hradecky after the farce surrounding a transfer to Bayern Munich ended, Bayer was clearly the more determined team against a newly formed Leipzig defense. After Edmond Tapsoba (6th) and Piero Hincapie (10th) failed with very good header chances, the whole stadium held its breath.
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Bayer striker Victor Boniface attempted an overhead kick after a corner and hit Leipzig’s Amadou Haidara in the head with full force. Haidara initially lay motionless, then left the field on his own, but an early substitution was unavoidable.
Rose relegated to the stands
Boniface was shown a yellow card, Nicolas Seiwald came into the game – and the game became more hectic. Rose’s emotions ran high, in particular, the RB coach complained too vehemently in front of his bench after an alleged foul and was sent off the pitch by referee Matthias Jöllenbeck.
Banished to the stands: Leipzig coach Marco Rose.
Source: dpa / Federico Gambarini
After half an hour and the first drink break of the warm late summer evening, there were sporting highlights again. Benjamin Sesko (32′) missed the guests’ best opportunity to date, while on the other side Frimpong did better when he appeared free in front of Peter Gulacsi and scored from close range. Just six minutes later, Grimaldo easily slotted in after a well-considered cross pass from Florian Wirtz. In what seemed like safety, the Bayer defense then left Kampl criminally free, allowing the midfielder to easily head in the equalizer.
At the start of the second half, Leipzig kept the pressure on and Bayer was careless. Openda scored from a tight angle through the legs of Hradecky’s replacement Matej Kovar and turned the game on its head ten minutes before the final whistle. It was over: Bayer Leverkusen could still lose to domestic competition.
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Source: ZDF
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