Round of 16 against Liverpool: RB Leipzig makes two mistakes and is about to end

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Nordi Mukiele miscalculates, Sadio Mané on the way to 2-0

Photo: BERNADETT SZABO / REUTERS

Liverpool FC won 2-0 (0-0) against RB Leipzig in the Champions League.

In the first leg of the round of 16, both teams missed some great chances, only Mohamed Salah scored the lead (53rd minute), Sadio Mané extended this (58th).

This was preceded by massive individual mistakes by the Leipzig team.

This means that Liverpool have a good chance of reaching the quarter-finals before the second leg on March 10th.

For both teams it was, so to speak, an away game: Because Jürgen Klopp's team was not allowed to enter Germany due to the Corona restrictions, Uefa moved the game from Leipzig to Budapest.

In the capital of Hungary, Leipzig's Dani Olmo headed the left inside post after just five minutes.

Early luck for Liverpool, who will have to do without the injured central defenders Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.

Ozan Kabak, on loan from FC Schalke, made his first knockout game in the premier class.

The Leipzig team played a major role in the early development of a fast-paced game, but Liverpool got stronger - and came up with numerous chances: First, RB keeper Péter Gulácsi fended off Mohamed Salah's attempt to lift his upper body, shortly afterwards Roberto Firmino hit the outside netting ;

Sadio Mané headed over it.

Leipzig beats itself

Because Gulácsi was again attentive, he cleared a long pass in front of Mané, but to Andrew Robertson, who put the lifter on goal from around 40 meters.

In the 36th minute the ball was in goal when Firmino headed in from close range, but the ball had probably just barely crossed the goal line.

The television pictures could neither prove nor disprove this.

It was also a meeting between two German coaches: Julian Nagelsmann and Jürgen Klopp.

While things are going well for Nagelsmanns Leipziger with second place in the Bundesliga, the Reds, currently sixth in the Premier League, are lagging behind their expectations.

The 1: 3 last weekend at Leicester City was the third league defeat in a row.

Right after the break, Christopher Nkunku had a great chance to take the lead, only Alisson's raised arms prevented the 1-0.

Salah did better: After an inaccurate back pass from Marcel Sabitzer, the Egyptian was free and converted (53rd).

Just five minutes later, Mukiele misjudged the ball as the last defender, this time Mané was the one who punished the mistake with a goal.

RB Leipzig, which can count itself among Europe's best 16 teams for the second time, subsequently switched, but the efforts were unsuccessful.

Whether the second leg can take place at Anfield Road in Liverpool is currently unclear due to the applicable entry regulations.

Because after entering a high-risk area, which Great Britain currently belongs to, the people of Leipzig would have to be in quarantine for 14 days after their return according to the Saxon Corona regulation.

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