24th matchday
Leipzig gains self-confidence: 4-1 in Bochum
RB turns the game around: Leipzig’s Dani Olmo celebrates his goal to make it 1-1. photo
© Bernd Thissen/dpa
RB Leipzig has found its way back to success. The clear 4:1 in Bochum comes at just the right time. After all, there is a difficult task in Madrid on Wednesday.
After a poor start to the year so far, the guests lived up to their role as favorites and remain on the heels of Dortmund, fourth in the Bundesliga table, just one point behind. In front of 24,200 spectators in the Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Dani Olmo (30th minute), Lois Openda (68th), Ivan Ordets (own goal/71st) and Yussuf Poulsen (72nd) ensured the guests deserved victory.
Both teams engage in an open exchange of blows
In contrast, VfL, who had defeated German record champions FC Bayern at the same venue two weeks ago and could hope for another coup after Maximilian Wittek’s early goal (3rd), suffered a setback for the first time after eight home games without defeat. The red card for Moritz Kwarteng in the 86th minute after a serious foul increased the frustration.
A furious start to the game caused early enthusiasm in the stands. Handicapped by the failures of various regular players, the hosts were close to falling behind early on. Only the strong reaction of returnee Andreas Luthe, who was in the VfL goal for the first time in a Bundesliga game since October 18, 2009, prevented Leipzig from taking the lead when Xavi Simons shot in the third minute.
His counterpart Peter Gulacsi reacted less well than Luthe to Bochum’s first chance. With Wittek’s free kick from a good 25 meters, the RB goalkeeper made a serious mistake when he let the hard but durable shot pass. Leipzig’s goal by Simons (14th) to make it 1-1, which was only canceled after video evidence was shown due to an offside position, further increased the entertainment value of the eventful first minutes.
In what had previously been an open exchange of blows, the guests increasingly gained control and repeatedly exposed the deficiencies in VfL’s defense with quick counterattacks. The better culture of play was rewarded: Olmo’s well-placed shot from 20 meters into the corner of the goal after a quick combination play could not be saved even by Riemann’s replacement Luthe.
Openda scores after being substituted on
From then on, the balance of power on the pitch was more clearly distributed. Leipzig dominated the game, Bochum focused on counterattacking. But the spectators didn’t see as many goal area scenes as at the beginning of the game until halftime.
After the restart, the game continued to deteriorate because both teams made too many slight mistakes in the build-up to the game. RB coach Rose tried to liven up his team’s dull game with three changes in the 65th minute. This turned out to be a smart move. Just three minutes after coming on as a substitute, Openda took the lead when he hit the far corner with a low shot after a pass from Amadou Haidara.
This goal would prove to be a turning point in Leipzig’s favor. When the eye-catching Simons attempted a cross pass in front of the Bochum goal, VfL defender Ordets put the ball into his own net. With the 4-1 win by Poulsen, who was also a substitute, the Bochum team’s resistance was finally broken.