Leipzig, in a bad moment in the Bundesliga, showed its pride today and, despite leaving first, added the first three points in the league stage of the Champions League at the expense of a Sporting that, with 10, is complicated by its continuation ( 2-1). Next Wednesday, on the final day, the Portuguese will need to beat Bologna at home to access the playoff before the round of 16.
Rui Borges, Sporting coach, surprised his lineup by leaving some starters on the bench, incl Viktor Gyôkeres, which he already dosed on Saturday by not including him in the starting eleven against Rio Ave in the Primeira Liga. The Swede entered the second half and scored 1-1.
Xavi Simons made it 1-0
The fact is that in the first half Sporting did not get Gyökeres because Leipzig was superior and advanced thanks to the great vision of the game. Xavi Simons.
The young Barcelona player, who played in a central position, found a corridor to shoot from the left to David Raumwho put a perfect ball at the far post with the inside to that Benjamin Sesko will push the ball into the net (20′).
VAR overruled 2-0
With the Slovenian’s fourth goal in the Champions League, Leipzig increased their pressure and managed to increase their advantage though the goal from Christoph Baumgartner It was overruled by VAR due to a previous offside Lois Openda by interfering with the play (32′).
Sporting struggled to string plays together, but towards the end of the first half they improved by having more of the ball, although not creating any chances.
Leipzig forgave
At the very beginning of the second half, Leipzig had a golden opportunity. Franco Israel He threw himself at Openda’s feet to avoid the goal and the rebound came to him. Xavi Simonswhose shot went over the crossbar with everything in his favour.
Two minutes later, in the 51st minute, Amadou Haidara He also made it 2-0 with a shot from outside the area that hit the post.
Gyökeres entered and tied
The sport needs help and Rui Borges understood it this way ordering triple change the minute giving entry to Hidemasa Morita, Daniel Bragança and, above all, Gyökeres. The presence of the burly Swedish striker had an immediate impact.
The ‘lions’ won the offensive presence, generated more danger and, with a quarter of an hour left, tied, of course, through Gyökeres. After Leipzig lost the ball, Braganca connects with the gunner and he did the rest with great class: he dealt with and cut Willi Orban to the left and hit his powerful shot at the short post.
It was his sixth goal in the Champions League and 34th in all competitions from Gyökeres, one of Europe’s weather sensations.
1-1 doesn’t last long
But Sporting’s lack of defensive strength condemned them to defeat after just three minutes. He didn’t know how to clear the ball and Baumgartner filtered it Yussuf Poulsen, who tripped and ended up pushing the ball Israel rejected by throwing herself at their feet.
Pretty high header from Gonçalo Inacio It was in added time that Sporting’s only option was to avoid the defeat that complicates its continuation in the Champions League.
match lineup
26
3
22
13
4
5
14
8
11
30
10
1
22
20
42
26
3
21
6
19
17
57
Red Bull Arena
85′
Franco Israel1
Ivan Fresneda22
75′
30′
60′
78′
Maximiliano Araújo20
Morten Hjulmand42
86′
Ousmane Diomande26
Jeremiah St. Just3
28′
84′
Geny Catamo21
54′
69′
Zeno Debast6
54′
60′
Conrad Harder19
54′
18′
Trincão17
61′
Geovany Quenda57
Replacements
Vladan Kovacevic13
Diogo Pinto51
60′
Gonçalo Inácio25
28′
Ricardo Esgaio47
75′
61′
Denilson Santos71
84′
Hidemasa Morita5
54′
69′
Daniel Bragança23
54′
Alexandre Brito50
60′
77′
João Simões52
Viktor Gyökeres9
54′
74′
Mauro Couto78
Rafael Nel86
coach
Marco Rose
Rui Manuel Gomes Borges
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
