Thanks again to Silva and Nkunku: Leipzig wins in Stuttgart
Created: 01/15/2022Updated: 01/15/2022 5:32 p.m
Stuttgart's Orel Mangala (M) in action against Leipzig's Kevin Kampl (l) and Leipzig's Yussuf Poulsen (r).
© Tom Weller/dpa
RB Leipzig has also won its second game in the second half of the Bundesliga and continues to hunt for the Champions League ranks.
After a largely unspectacular performance, the Saxons won 2-0 (1-0) at VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.
The in-form attackers André Silva with a hand penalty (11th minute) and Christopher Nkunku (70th) scored the goals for RB in front of only 500 spectators in the Mercedes-Benz Arena due to corona.
Stuttgart - The Stuttgart team remained winless and goalless for the fourth time in a row - and could slip to the penultimate place in the table on Sunday.
Pellegrino Matarazzo's mood is likely to deteriorate further as a result.
The VfB coach counted some of his players after the disappointing 0-0 draw in Fürth last week.
He said he "couldn't accept" her appearance.
Against RB he rebuilt his team in four positions.
Philipp Förster and Roberto Massimo had to go to the bench, Pascal Stenzel was replaced by Konstantinos Mavropanos, who had returned from Corona quarantine.
Borna Sosa was out due to muscular problems.
The newly formed VfB team tried hard, but ultimately remained unlucky.
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The game was less than ten minutes old when the hosts were hit again.
When Nkunku crossed, Mavropanos bounced the ball from close range to his outstretched left arm.
Referee Daniel Schlager decided on a penalty – Silva coldly turned it into the bottom right corner.
It was the striker's fifth goal in five games under coach Domenico Tedesco.
And there was security for the eleven of the ex-VfB youth coach who grew up in Esslingen and whose family still lives in Stuttgart.
The people of Leipzig were initially stable at the back and waited for moments of change. Stuttgart didn't seem shocked by the deficit, but for a long time they didn't create a goal threat - neither through top striker Sasa Kalajdzic in his second game after months of injury, nor through 18-year-old Alexis Tibidi in his starting eleven debut. Only shortly before the break did VfB develop an urge phase. Hiroki Ito (40th) from a long distance and Wataru Endo from a short distance (44th) failed to RB keeper Peter Gulacsi.
In the second half, the Swabians increased the number of strokes. Gulacsi was challenged by headers from Kalajdzic (56') and Waldemar Anton (67') as well as a shot from a turn by Orel Mangala (63') - and made strong saves in each case. Tibidi would have liked to have received a penalty after a duel with Willi Orban in the Leipzig penalty area (58th).
RB, who had to do without offensive man Dominik Szoboszlai for a short time after warming up due to muscular problems, became more and more passive.
As if out of nowhere, the guests set the decisive counterattack 20 minutes before the end.
Substitute Benjamin Henrichs sent Nkunku down the right wing.
The Frenchman, who had previously shone against Mainz (4-1) with a goal and two assists, let opponent Ito run into the void and pushed into the right corner.
In the final minutes, Leipzig's Dani Olmo, who had been absent for weeks due to injuries and a corona infection, celebrated his comeback.
dpa
