A second-half Benjamin Sesko double and a surprising aim from Xavi Simons took RB Leipzig to a 3-0 win at a ten-man Union Berlin on Sunday, the house facet’s first loss within the German capital in 18 months.
Shock Champions League members Union had not misplaced within the league at house since February 2022, after they suffered a 3-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund, then coached by present Leipzig boss Marco Rose.
Leipzig, who began this season with a 3-0 Supercup thrashing of Bayern Munich, thundered out of the blocks, taking the lead shortly after because of a long-range Simons aim.
Union misplaced ahead Kevin Volland to a straight pink card shortly after, Leipzig’s Sesko scoring two objectives in three minutes late within the recreation to wrap up the end result.
Leipzig sporting director Max Eberl celebrated the “spectacular fashion and method” of his facet’s “deserved” win however conceded “the pink card undoubtedly helped us a bit.”
Rose toasted Simons’ “lovely aim” which “opened the sport up” for his facet to say an “essential win.”
Union supervisor Urs Fischer praised his facet’s battle and stated “it is powerful, in opposition to an opponent like RB, to create one thing with a person down”.
The battle between the one top-division groups from the previous East is among the many Bundesliga’s fiercest, with Union followers staging repeated protests in opposition to Leipzig’s possession and the membership’s strategy to German soccer’s sacred member-ownership guidelines.
As has now turn into customary on the Alte Forsterei, Union followers greeted Leipzig with full silence at first of the match earlier than roaring to life after quarter-hour.
Newcomer Volland went shut early for the house facet, his header forcing a determined save by Leipzig goalkeeper Janis Blaswich.
Union held agency in defence within the opening half, forcing Leipzig’s Yussuf Poulsen and Xaver Schlager into long-range efforts earlier than half-time.
Leipzig discovered their fluency and precision instantly within the second half.
The guests took the lead with Germany midfielder Benjamin Henrichs teeing up Simons to attain a stunner, the Paris Saint-Germain loanee thundering in from the sting of the field.
Trailing for the primary time this season, Union’s push for an equaliser was derailed by a pink card to Volland, the previous Monaco ahead despatched from the sphere for a rash problem on Mohamed Simakan.
Union made a number of modifications as they pushed to maintain their house report intact, however Sesko scored a double within the closing 5 minutes — his first league objectives for the membership — to seal the win.
Regardless of Leipzig’s win breaking their 25-match unbeaten streak at house, Union followers had been in full voice after the match.
Defender Robin Gosens instructed DAZN “it is distinctive — we misplaced at house 3-0, deservedly so, however we’re celebrated like we gained the Champions League.”
Nkounkou rescues level
Eintracht Frankfurt’s Niels Nkounkou scored on his debut with two minutes remaining to grab some extent in a 1-1 house draw in opposition to Koln.
With Koln holding onto a shock lead in opposition to a dominant Frankfurt after a first-half penalty from captain Florian Kainz, Nkounkou got here off the bench with the clock winding down.
The French defender, who signed from Saint Etienne on Friday, rattled in a winner ten minutes after approaching to ship the house followers into raptures.
“We’re pleased we will take some extent” Frankfurt captain Kevin Trapp stated after the match “a loss would have been bitter.”
An “unhappy” Kainz instructed DAZN “we have to dwell with the purpose – it is honest”.
Frankfurt got here into the match having misplaced key striker Randal Kolo Muani, who made a 95-million-euro ($102.5 million) transfer to Paris Saint-Germain simply earlier than the switch window shut on Friday.
Regardless of only one season within the European monetary capital, Kolo Muani had established himself on the coronary heart of Frankfurt’s assault, scoring 15 and helping 11 of the membership’s 58 league objectives.
Philipp Max caught out a stray leg and linked with Eric Martel simply earlier than half-time.
Koln captain Kainz stepped as much as the spot and duly transformed, the guests taking a shock 1-0 lead into the half regardless of being totally outplayed.
With two minutes to go, Nkounko collected the ball within the field and blasted previous Koln goalkeeper Marvin Schwabe, equalising for the house facet.
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