9th matchday
Leipzig handles Cologne and suffers with Dani Olmo
RB Leipzig defeated Cologne 6-0. photo
© Jan Woitas/dpa
RB Leipzig scores a landslide win against 1. FC Köln. However, the joy of the 6-0 win was marred by a serious injury to Dani Olmo.
Coach Marco Rose couldn’t even be really happy about RB Leipzig’s six-goal gala. Another serious injury to someone who had just recovered Dani Olmo took the head coach seriously.
“It’s really hard for me to bear, and for the boy too,” said Rose after the 6-0 (4-0) win against 1. FC Köln. The Spaniard Olmo, who has just returned after a long break due to a sprained knee, will probably have to miss another few weeks due to a shoulder injury. “I’m happy for the boys and super sad for Dani,” said Rose, summing up his mood.
The cup winner had previously increased Cologne’s misery with his six-goal gala and maintained contact with the top of the Bundesliga. Starting eleven returnee Timo Werner, who was later substituted due to eye problems, gave the Saxons the lead with a foul penalty in the 15th minute in front of 46,418 spectators.
RB moves up to fourth place for the time being
Lois Openda (40th/45th + 3) with a brace and David Raum (43rd) made everything clear before the break. Benjamin Sesko (88th) and Christoph Baumgartner (90th + 1) increased the result shortly before the end.
For Leipzig, who are currently in fourth place in the Bundesliga table, it was the ninth game without defeat across the season before they face VfL Wolfsburg in the DFB Cup on Tuesday (6 p.m.). “It was a nice game, we controlled the ball the whole game,” said double packer Openda.
The Rhinelanders suffered their seventh defeat in nine league games and also ended the game outnumbered after the yellow-red card for Mathias Olesen (80th). Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart then gathered his team in a circle and spoke intensively to his players. “That hurts. I have to look after myself. I have to offer solutions,” said Baumgart, but assured that he still had enough energy to work in the relegation battle.
Kainz: “Really hit the spot”
Cologne’s Florian Kainz also appeared dejected. “We’ve really hit the ground running,” said the captain and warned: “Now we have to get the game over with quickly and not attack individual players.”
The changes in Leipzig’s starting line-up quickly paid off: Amadou Haidara won the penalty in a duel with Eric Martel on the edge of the penalty area, and Werner safely converted to take the lead. Unlike his winning goal after his late substitution against Gladbach, this time he celebrated his second goal of the season with abandon.
Luca Waldschmidt (34th) had Cologne’s best chance when he hit the post after a cross from full speed. But in Cologne’s best phase, Openda skillfully thundered a through ball from Xavi Simons into the corner.
The cheers had barely died down when Raum dived at full speed into a long Henrichs cross. The ball hit the post and bounced off Cologne keeper Marvin Schwäbe’s body and into the goal.
Olmo replaced with a pained face
Cologne was now full of the role. Xavi dribbled around the FC defense and set up again for Openda (45th + 3), who first let Julian Gaston Chabot get out and then shot in low.
In the second half, RB soon had to digest another shock after Werner’s forced substitution. Olmo was knocked off his feet by Cologne’s Luca Kilian and went into the dressing room with a grimace of pain on his face, holding his injured shoulder. It quickly became clear that the Spaniard had suffered another serious injury. In the final phase, Sesko and Baumgartner increased.