As of: February 17, 2024, 8:32 p.m
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Leipzig's Xavi Simons (l) celebrates after his goal to make it 1-0.
© Robert Michael/dpa
RB Leipzig continues to catch up in the table with the win against Gladbach.
The top game was overshadowed by two deaths in the fan scene.
Leipzig - RB Leipzig is back in touch with the Champions League places.
With a 2-0 (1-0) at home against Borussia Mönchengladbach, the German cup winners reduced the gap to fourth place in the Bundesliga to one point.
Previously, rivals Dortmund had only played 1-1 in Wolfsburg.
In front of 44,822 spectators, Xavi Simons (14th minute) gave Leipzig the lead on Saturday evening before Lois Openda (57th) increased.
For the Gladbachers it remains the same: they didn't get a win in the eighth game in Leipzig either.
The Leipzig team, wearing a special black jersey with a flame design and the words “Leipzig on fire” on their necks, started strongly: After 72 seconds, Yussuf Poulsen had the lead after a through ball from Dani Olmo, but lobbed the ball over the goal from six meters .
Marco Rose, who broke the 100-point mark as RB coach with the win against the former club, this time relied on Poulsen instead of Benjamin Sesko in the attack.
He also brought in Amadou Haidara in defensive midfield.
Afterwards it became unusually quiet in the stadium.
The approximately 3,500 guest fans who had traveled held back with their support “because a member of the fan scene died in a traffic accident,” Borussia announced during the game on the X platform (formerly Twitter).
The Leipzig team were mostly quiet shortly after kick-off because a person in the stadium had to be resuscitated, as RB also announced on X.
During the half-time break, the stadium announcer announced the sad news that “unfortunately the fan has died”.
There was only occasional applause during the game.
The players tried to concentrate on sports.
In the 13th minute, Dani Olmo tested guest goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas with a shot from 13 meters, who parried brilliantly.
Shortly afterwards the goalkeeper was powerless.
Xavi Simons skillfully received the ball with his thigh and scored his sixth goal of the season from 14 meters to take the lead in the 14th minute.
Then Nicolas again prevented Leipzig from making it 2-0 when he saved a Simons shot (19th) from ten meters.
After just 23 minutes, Rose was forced to make a substitution because Lukas Klostermann apparently suffered a muscle injury in his right thigh.
Mohamed Simakan came for him.
On the other hand, Gladbach's coach Gerardo Seoane had to do without Alassane Plea (bruised bone) and Florian Neuhaus (muscular problems) before kick-off.
Overall, the Borussia defense was stable and initially allowed little apart from conceding a goal.
And when he did, Nicolas saved, like against Openda (40th), who was, however, offside.
After the substitution, the Gladbachers sent a signal of caution with a header from Jordan (52nd) - but the ball just missed.
Otherwise, RB goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi had little to do.
Gladbach combined well, but there was a lack of accuracy when it came to the last pass or when finishing.
On the other side, Nicolas was overthrown by Openda (57th) after he started free after a strong pass.
The linesman raised the flag, but the video assistant took corrective action - the goal, Openda's 16th of the season, counted.
After about an hour, Rose Sesko came on for Poulsen and Nicolas Seiwald for Haidara.
Gladbach also tried to provide fresh impetus with Marvin Friedrich.
Sesko (73') then had the chance to make it 3-0, but the strong Nicolas was there with a reflexive foot save.
dpa