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Leipzig bankruptcy against Lyon: own fault

2019-10-03T09:02:16.918Z


After a furious start to the season Leipzig has now lost the second game in a row. The team has lost its good starting position in the Champions League - by two notable blackouts.



What makes a top team? Is it dominating every footballing defeated opponent over 90 minutes? Does it play very fast, especially attractive? Is it exceptionally effective? Is it just characterized by good results - and does not shine at all?

There are many different types of top teams. A very simple feature unites them all: top teams and their players meet in the most important moments more correct decisions than their opponents. And at least as far as this feature is concerned, RB Leipzig was by no means a top team in the 0-2 (0-1) home defeat against Olympique Lyon.

Because there were two serious wrong decisions that contributed significantly to the bankruptcy. Before the 0: 1 Ibrahima Konaté went after a misunderstanding with Konrad Laimer into dribbling, instead of playing the ball immediately and gave him here. Seconds later, Memphis Depay pushed in for the visitors' lead (11th minute).

Shortly thereafter Konaté had to be replaced injured, for him moved Nordi Mukiele in the triple chain. And he also was responsible for a goal: He let a ball roll through his legs in the penalty area because he had not noticed Martin Terrier behind him. The Frenchman conquered the ball and scored the 2: 0 (65th). Coach Julian Nagelsmann was later annoyed that Mukiele had not played the ball back to goalkeeper Peter Gulasci. You have already mentioned that a couple of times. "There must be the next step."

Nagelsmann sees no downtrend

The next step. Whether Leipzig succeeds under the new ambitious coach, this question is also overall about this season. RB is at the beginning of an exciting season. Already last year, the team has established itself as the first pursuers of FC Bayern and BVB. After Nagelsmann's commitment, the question automatically arises: is there more?

The start of the season was promising, almost perfect. Only in the draw against Bayern left Leipzig first points. But: Here RB could have been clearly behind at break. In the 3-0 victory over Werder Leipzig was efficient, but not outstanding good. Schalke's first defeat came last weekend, now the second. So is the trend going downhill?

"If this is a downtrend, then it may go downhill," said Nagelsmann in terms of the performance of his team. He spoke of a "good game", referring to the "own goals" and to the fact that RB had "significantly more chances" than Lyon, three "thousand percent". In the first few weeks RB had used his first opportunities - and this evening just not, as against Schalke. So the defeat is explained.

Werner forgives two great opportunities

However, Leipzig met an extremely battered opponent: Lyon is currently only eleventh in the French Ligue 1, had last seven games in a row not won. It was all the more remarkable that Leipzig rarely combined as pass-safe and purposeful in the other penalty area as in the fifth minute, when Werner shot close to the goal. His second good chance came from a defensive error, the striker ran from the center circle alone to the gate, but pulled too far in and put his lob over the crossbar (22). Later Marcelo cleared a header from Yussuf Poulsen after a shot from Werner just before the line (33.).

Overall, however, Leipzig presented itself to erratic, too imprecise in the passing game, decided at the wrong moment for a dribble or a long pass. And again and again it began in the buildup in the triple chain, especially if Lyon did not retire, but sometimes attacked very early. Even when Nagelsmann switched to a four-by-one after a 2-0 draw, the Leipzig game did not become more ambitious or dangerous.

Orban: "Not a bad game"

The players referred in their analysis, similar to their coach especially on the dropouts before the goals, and also on the chances awarded. Captain Willi Orban said it was "not such a bad game". But how is the setback to be classified? "I do not want to make it bigger, but losing two games is not good, and how we lost it is not good," said Emil Forsberg.

And what is to be expected from Leipzig? In the Champions League, the team has already come under pressure: With the home victory of Zenit St. Petersburg against Benfica Lisbon RB slipped from first to third place, a defeat in the home game against Zenit (23 October), the team can hardly afford. In the Bundesliga Leipzig has also just lost the league standings. In order to establish itself further at the top of the league, RB must also quickly show that the defeats were actually just unfortunate slips.

Because there is another feature that distinguishes top teams. They recover quickly from setbacks, quickly find back to performance and success. The first opportunity to let Leipzig pass on Wednesday evening. The next is waiting for Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday afternoon.

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2019-10-03

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