In an ongoing, eager effort to optimize their own product, the responsible management and ball managers in Leipzig set up new lights this week. Even in the days before the home game against Borussia Dortmund, the edge of the stadium was organizing in wild ellipses in the evenings, and it was organ again and violently shortly before half past eight on Saturday evening – the final whistle, 2-1 home win.
The way to this important victory for Leipzig can be told in different ways. He can be told about the ball game club Borussia Dortmund, which is still playing a good season so far, but had to experience a second defeat against Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League during the week, which is also mentally difficult to overcome – and its top scorer probably will still be called Erling Haaland when he returns from his injury.
Dortmund was wrong more through the first half than following an idea. “That was nothing in the first half today. Of course we didn’t play a good game,” said goalkeeper Gregor Kobel on Sky. As an example, captain Marco Reus can be named, who earned a warning for complaining in the 31st minute, after referee Felix Zwayer had assessed similar offenses against Julian Brandt and Jude Bellingham differently and to the disadvantage of BVB.
Disappointed after the final whistle: Dortmund’s Mats Hummels (left) and Marco Reus
(Photo: Ronny Hartmann / AFP)
After the break, Reus scored the interim 1: 1 (52nd) out of the so-called nowhere. Meunier played an excellent deep pass, Reus showed in a direct duel with Peter Gulacsi that purposeful serenity that he had missed against Zwayer. Loose shot, inside.
Nkunku sets more fire than Dortmund goalkeeper Kobel can put out
But what else was there to emphasize from Dortmund? Only the performance of goalkeeper Kobel, who first parried strongly against Christopher Nkunku (13th) and in the 60th unceremoniously developed a 2-for-1 program for parades. First Kobel parried, then – lying on the ground – he used his right foot, which was still flying around in the air, to defuse the ball somewhere again.
There, too, Christopher Nkunku had been there again, just as in the end he started more fire than even Kobel was able to put out. Leipzig’s trainer Jesse Marsch, who had recently gotten more into gear with his team than the two draws in Frankfurt and against Paris had suggested from the result, had demanded to be more aggressive, yes, “sharper” – and Nkunku went in a special way Ahead.
The game almost started with a record that Florian Niederlechner has held for almost exactly five years: eight game seconds, Niederlechner didn’t need more in 2016 in the SC Freiburg game in Mainz to get a yellow card. Nkunku struggled in great strides on Saturday from the kick-off to break this record and also reached Manuel Akanji’s foot in time – but Zwayer did not punish the sure-footed slap, who found a line as well as Dortmund to his Game.
The scene of the game, despite the post shot, is two Zidane spins in a row by Nkunku
In any case, Nkunku then mainly kicked the ball and did so in a delightful way. It was Nkunku who received an outstanding low pass from the latter in the 29th minute after a tentative build-up by Adams and Gvardiol. Nkunku turned a lap around Kobel with astonishing calmness, calmly readjusted the ball in a less than ideal angle – and punched more than he shot. A well-deserved reward for livelier, more strong-willed Leipzig residents.
The winning goal in Leipzig was not scored by the outstanding Nkunku, but by Yussuf Poulsen (right).
(Photo: Michael Sohn / AP)
It was also Nkunku who led Leipzig in those shining minutes that began after a good hour. First to be seen in the 63rd minute was a double revolving figure in the style of Olympic figure skaters, which is called the Zidane spin in football, after the great French. Nkunku pulled the ball back twice with his right and then carried it on with a pirouette and his left foot. Nobody at Leipzig was grieved for long about the subsequent shot in the post.
Because only five minutes later Nkunku almost started to fly again, this time on the left wing. But then only the ball, sailing as smooth as butter, went on the journey. At the far post, Yussuf Poulsen, who was once again consistently hardworking, made it 2-1. Goalkeeper Kobel could now consider himself properly shaved after he and Poulsen had had an unhappy clash shortly before and Poulsen’s foot had at least grazed Kobel’s hair.
After this 2-1 goal, Dortmund obviously lacked the strength and faith to counter something after an overall moderate performance. At Leipzig, on the other hand, there seemed to be a great desire to go one better than to get a late goal again at the end. So this did not happen, instead Jesse Marsch ran onto the field after the final whistle and was so happy under the organizing ellipses that one can certainly say that he presented the Leipzigers with a new concept of jubilation.