Atlético coach Diego Simeone stormed towards the catacombs with his fists clenched in celebration, while Marco Rose still had to do some rebuilding work on the pitch in Madrid for his bitterly disappointed players. After José María Giménez’s winning header in the 90th minute, RB Leipzig suddenly found themselves empty-handed at the start of the Champions League.
For a long time, the Saxon Bundesliga club believed they would gain a point at Atlético Madrid. But in the end, the 1:2 (1:1) was Leipzig’s first defeat after 16 unbeaten competitive matches. Benjamin Sesko had given RB an early lead at the Estadio Metropolitano (4th minute). Antoine Griezmann scored the more than deserved equaliser (28th minute) before Giménez sent the stadium into a frenzy.
Baumgartner: “They are real men”
“We are very disappointed because we could have done better, at least one point here in Madrid. Maybe Atlético were one goal better today,” said Christoph Baumgartner on the streaming service Dazn, adding in view of the weaker phase after the opening goal: “We lost confidence in possession, there were definitely spaces that we could have exploited.” It was the same in part in the second half. “We gave the ball away too easily. These are real men who know how to work after the game.”
Kampl has to pass
RB announced the first bad news shortly before kick-off: midfielder Kevin Kampl was unable to play due to muscle problems. Arthur Vermeeren, on loan from Madrid, started for him for the first time since his move. In addition, Leipzig had to make do without some of their 700 or so travelling fans. Heavy rain shortly before kick-off caused the metro line to temporarily be cancelled in the direction of the stadium.
But unimpressed by these negative side effects, the Saxons got off to a furious start. After Sesko had had major problems in the goalless 0:0 draw against 1. FC Union Berlin in the league, he immediately showed his qualities when he returned to the center of the attack. In the fourth minute, the Slovenian scored his fourth goal in the Champions League with a header and inflicted the home side’s first goal against them in front of a home crowd this season.
With combined forces
The already frenetic Atlético fans once again put in more effort and supported their team even more loudly. RB defense chief Willi Orban, who returned to the starting line-up after a league suspension, had declared the day before that the “heated atmosphere” would spur him and his teammates on. But this only applied to the initial phase. The Leipzig defenders struggled to thwart the first furious counterattacks.
Especially after a mistake by goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, Orban and Co. had to do everything they could to avert the danger (16th minute). Just eight minutes later, Castello Lukeba prevented the goal with a sliding tackle after a mistake in the build-up play and immediately afterwards, a header from Ángel Correa, extended after a corner, landed on the inside post. Gulacsi was able to fish it off the line. Leipzig barely managed to relieve the pressure. Griezmann’s equalizer was therefore only a matter of time. Even after the goal, the hosts had more of the game, but missed too many chances.
400th game for Poulsen
Rose reacted early in the second half, bringing on Baumgartner, among others, for the rather ineffective starting debutant Antonia Nusa. However, RB’s biggest chance after the change came from Yussuf Poulsen, who also came on as a substitute. In his 400th competitive game for Leipzig, the Dane set up Xavi Simons in the penalty area, but the Dutchman unfortunately smashed the ball over the goal (72′). Poulsen himself narrowly missed the RB lead with a header four minutes later. Driven by Simeone, Madrid increased the tempo again towards the end: Griezmann (81′) only hit the side netting from a tight angle, but Giménez found the net a little later.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240919-930-237685/2
This is a message directly from the dpa news channel.
