RB Leipzig overturned a deficit against SC Freiburg in the top game of the Bundesliga and shot themselves to the top of the table.
In the 3:1 (0:1) Ritsu Doan first scored for the guests (15th minute), in the second half the two defenders Willi Orban (47th) and Lutsharel Geertruida (58th) put RB in the lead before Lois Openda made everything clear in the 78th minute.
Freiburg’s shoemaker happy, Leipzig’s rose proud
Freiburg’s coach Julian Schuster was quite positive despite the defeat and said to the sports show: “You won’t be able to defend everything here. After an outstanding performance in the first half, we simply got the goals at very unfavorable moments. I wanted to see courage and confidence in our own quality and the belief that I could take something away here – so I’m happy with a lot of things today.”
His colleague Marco Rose celebrated his team’s performance: “Coming out of the break like that after a deficit, turning the game around and then defending it so passionately to the end – that makes me proud. We have a good spirit in the team, but it’s also a sign of quality, 19 games in a row not to lose.”
Both teams immediately in attack mode
In the first half, both teams immediately looked for a way to go on the offensive. Leipzig had the first chance through Openda (10th), who, however, fell behind in a good finishing position and placed the ball well over the goal. Freiburg should have taken the lead two minutes later, but Junior Adamu placed his lob completely freely in front of the RB goal, over Peter Gulacsi, but also just wide of the left post.
Freiburg remained in control after that, so the lead in the 15th minute was certainly not undeserved. Vincenzo Grifo hit a technically brilliant cross when Doan broke free at the back of the Leipzig defense – at the second post the little Japanese headed past Gulacsi into the near corner.
Double chance by Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko
RB held on, but initially struggled to create a clear chance without the injured
In the ten minutes before the break, the hosts also had dangerous shots. But Benjamin Sesko failed twice: In the 36th minute, Noah Atubolu closed the short corner after a through pass from Antonio Nusa, and three minutes later, Freiburg’s keeper brilliantly fished the Slovenian’s header from the right angle.
Orban and Geertruida turn the game around for Leipzig
Leipzig had to change goalkeepers for the second half, and the Belgian Maarten Vandevoort, signed from Genk, made his competitive debut for the Bulls in place of the injured Gulacsi. But most of the events took place on the other side.
A minute and a half after the restart, central defender Willi Orban pushed a sharp cross from Benjamin Henrichs over the line to equalize. Freiburg then found itself in more and more trouble and conceded the second goal after a counterattack initiated by Christoph Baumgartner by the well-started right-back Geertruida.
Willi Orban from RB Leipzig
Openda uses excursion from Freiburg’s Atubolu
After that, Freiburg wanted to force it, but opened up more space in defense. Leipzig took advantage of this again with a counterattack: Openda went steeply via Baumgartner and André Silva, who shook off Nicolas Höfler and benefited from an adventurous excursion by Atubolu, who left his goal completely unnecessarily and then slipped.
Freiburg against Mainz, Leipzig in Dortmund
SC Freiburg will play at home against 1. FSV Mainz 05 next matchday (November 3rd, 3:30 p.m.). On Saturday evening, RB Leipzig will play in the top game in Dortmund (November 2nd, 6:30 p.m.). Before that, both teams are still challenged in the cup: Leipzig hosts FC St. Pauli in the second round on Tuesday. SC Freiburg hosts Hamburger SV a day later.
