Champions League
Home bankruptcy: Leipzig is embarrassed against Donetsk
RB Leipzig started the premier class season with a defeat. photo
© Jan Woitas/dpa
The start of the Champions League should be the compensation for the last embarrassing performance in the Bundesliga. But RB Leipzig can’t keep up against outsiders Donetsk either.
Domenico Tedesco took the final whistle at the next desolate Leipzig appearance without moving, a few meters away the pros from Shakhtar Donetsk exuberantly celebrated their emotional victory.
The 1: 4 (0: 1) of the German cup winners against the Ukrainian champions on Tuesday evening at the start of the Champions League was no ordinary premier class game. For Tedesco, the next serious bankruptcy means more days of discussions about his job – the Bundesliga game on Saturday against Borussia Dortmund could already be a football final for the coach.
Tedesco completely disappointed
“It’s difficult to find the right words, I’ll be honest. The course of the game was amazing,” said Tedesco on the Internet broadcaster DAZN. “If the fans are unhappy, they can express that.” “He’s not worried at all about his job. Of course I’m completely disappointed after the game.”
The professionals from the war-torn Ukrainian club held up a large flag with their national colors for the camera after the game. It was Shakhtar’s first competitive international game since the Russian invasion. The domestic league is played without an audience and under the strictest security measures.
Marian Schwed (16th minute/59th), Mychajlo Mudryk (76th) and Lassina Traoré (76th) shocked the majority of the 41,591 fans. The interim equalizer by Mohamed Simakan (57th) didn’t even last two minutes. “We start, make it 1-1, the thing flies back in with the next shot on goal,” complained Tedesco.
Even the Leipzig dress rehearsal at 0: 4 in Frankfurt had failed properly. “The coach can’t help it if there is no willingness to run at all and there is a total lack of willingness to fight,” club boss Oliver Mintzlaff said shortly before the kick-off at DAZN – and demanded improvement and a “reaction”.
Forsberg surprisingly on the bench
In the 4-4-2 system, which is unusual for Tedesco, Leipzig proved to be more stable, at least in the first few minutes, but not significantly better. Playmaker Emil Forsberg surprisingly sat on the bench at the beginning, Dominik Szoboszlai replaced the injured Dani Olmo instead. Newcomer Abdou Diallo made his debut. Christopher Nkunku failed early on to Shakhtar goalkeeper Anatolij Trubin (12th), national player Timo Werner hardly developed any danger on the left side in the first half.
The Ukrainians were difficult to assess for the Bundesliga club. As a result of the attack by Russian forces, almost all foreign professionals left the club, and the new coach Igor Jovicevic arrived in July. In the away block, 700 Donetsk fans celebrated the opening goal after a serious mistake by Peter Gulacsi far in front of his penalty area. Swede took the ball from the goalkeeper and hit the empty goal.
No compelling chances
RB found it difficult to process the setback. The Leipzig remained the apparently superior team, but didn’t create any compelling chances for too long and were far too easy to defend. At times Tedesco stood stoically on the sidelines, attempts like those made by André Silva in the 29th minute seemed hasty. After all, the Bundesliga club didn’t have any trouble with the guest offensive in this phase – the Jovicevic team didn’t have to do more either.
In the second half – now with substitute international David Raum – the expected one-goal game developed. RB put pressure on Shakhtar early on, Werner moved more into the center. Simakan rewarded Szoboszlai’s charge, but Schwed scored his second almost immediately after the restart. Willi Orban deflected the 25-year-old’s shot from unsustainable, the Shakhtar pros ran jubilantly to their coach.
A good twenty minutes before the end, Tedesco made two changes, Forsberg and Benjamin Henrichs came on for Werner and Xaver Schlager. The next goals came from Donetsk again. Mudryk completed a counterattack in an exemplary manner. Traoré finally made the decision.
RB Leipzig Shakhtar Donetsk information about the game