RB Leipzig has stormed into a European Cup semi-final for the second time in the club’s young history. Coach Domenico Tedesco’s team won the quarter-final second leg of the Europa League at Atalanta Bergamo 2-0.
Domenico Tedesco took a moment before letting his emotions run free. After a controlled smile and a respectful handshake with fellow coach Gian Piero Gasperini, the RB Leipzig coach approached his players and hugged them warmly. The dream of the title is alive: Thanks to double goalscorer Christopher Nkunku, RB stormed into a European Cup semi-final for the second time in its young club history.
The Tedesco team won the quarter-final second leg of the Europa League at Atalanta Bergamo 2-0 (1-0) and thus made it into the top four. The first leg a week ago in Leipzig ended 1-1.
“The key was our switching moments after winning the ball,” said Tedesco. Captain Peter Gulacsi also enthused: “We closed the spaces and defended well up front.
Nkunku puts RB Leipzig ahead
Nkunku (18th) with his opening goal after a perfectly performed counterattack caused great cheering for the Leipzigers, who have now been unbeaten for 13 competitive games in a row. He got the penalty kick (87th) shortly before the end himself.
In the second half, RB was initially lucky when referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) did not award a penalty after a handball from Dani Olmo and a minute-long video view (50th). “I saw right away that it wasn’t one,” said Tedesco: “It’s amazing that he goes out and looks at it.”
In the semifinals, the Saxons meet the Glasgow Rangers. However, defenders Willi Orban and Mohamed Simakan are suspended in the first leg. Two years ago, RB had reached the semi-finals in the Champions League.
Leipzig started in front of 19,500 spectators at the Gewiss Stadion with almost the same starting XI that had revealed some weaknesses in the first leg. Only Simakan replaces Lukas Klostermann in the three-man defense. Tedesco had demanded beforehand that he accept the fight against the “machines”, as he called the physically robust Italians, who played man marking almost the entire pitch: “We have to improve, otherwise it will be difficult.”
Leipzig gets better and better with increasing playing time
However, the hosts got off to a better start. After about a quarter of an hour, RB also woke up – and was rewarded with the opening goal. After a strong preliminary work by Konrad Laimer on the right Nkunku completed.
This hit worked. The Italians, who initially only sat on the bench with Luis Muriel, who had dominated the first leg as a goalscorer and was a constant source of trouble, were no longer quite as determined. RB was more secure defensively and was able to free himself from the pressure better. With the best outside conditions, with temperatures around 20 degrees and a perfectly manicured pitch, Leipzig felt better and better as the game went on.
After the change of sides, the table eighth in the Italian Serie A increased the pressure again and the game became much more hectic. However, the Leipzigers were largely in order and repeatedly tried to counterattack and were dangerous in the process.
Atalanta Bergamo – RB Leipzig: The voices
Domenico Tedesco (RB Leipzig coach): “We’re very happy. It was a very difficult game. We knew after the first leg what kind of opponents we were in for here. The idea was to go down a little bit so we didn’t give too much space. We got it right defended well, won the ball deep in their own half. We did a really good job of staying in possession. All in all, it was a great team effort, I’m proud of the team.”
Atalanta Bergamo – RB Leipzig: The data of the game
Bergamo: Musso – de Roon, Demiral (70th Scalvini), Palomino – Hateboer, Koopmeiners, Freuler (88th Pasalic), Zappacosta – Malinowski (58th Muriel), Boga (70th Miranchuk) – Zapata. – Coach: Gasperini
Leipzig: Gulacsi – Simakan, Orban, Gvardiol (79th Poulsen) – Henrichs (73rd Klostermann), Kampl (79th Halstenberg), Laimer (73rd Adams), Angelino – Olmo – Silva (63rd Szoboszlai), Nkunku. – Coach: Tedesco
Gates: 0-1 Nkunku (18′), 0-2 Nkunku (87′, penalty kick)
Yellow cards: Zapata, Freuler, Demiral, Koopmeiners, Hateboer, Zappacosta – Henrichs, Orban (2), Simakan, Klostermann, Kampl (2)