Leipzig get revenge on Dortmund in clash of pretenders to Bayern throne | Andy Brassell

It was clear, from the way Ralph Hasenhüttl jumped on the pitch at full-time, bouncing with his fists pumping and the full complement of equally jubilant backroom staff in tow, that this meant something – that this meant everything. In winning at Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig had done more than beaten the leaders, and more than further opened up what threatens (at least for now) to be a title race.
It meant more, even, than ending BVB’s incredible unbeaten Bundesliga run at Signal Iduna Park, incorporating 41 matches – under Jürgen Klopp, to Bayern Munich, in April 2015. “I am very, very proud,” beamed Hasenhüttl. “It was sensational, with so much passion. We had a real spectacle.”
That it certainly was. This was the match of the season so far in the Bundesliga, hands down, despite Hasenhüttl’s opposite number Peter Bosz claiming: “It wasn’t a great game.” From a technical standpoint, one might have some sympathy for the Dutchman’s argument – and his side certainly made far too many mistakes for one with ambitions of holding what was a five-point lead at the top before kick-off.
This was simply exhilarating, though. It had always promised to be a real occasion, not just between two of the pretenders to the crown of a wobbling Bayern Munich, but as a clash of cultures. The pair’s first meeting at Westfalen in February was a bracing affair, with extensive protests against the Red Bull model. In some cases, that distaste went way too far outside the ground, with small groups of ultras harassing and even in some cases attacking visiting fans.
Mercifully, the more extreme elements were quelled this weekend, but the spirit of protest was still there. Ultras went on a march before the game and the Yellow Wall was again bumper-to-bumper with banners full of indignation for their opponents, proclaiming Leipzig as “der schade” – the shame – of the league and pledging: “Null Toleranz.”
So when Hasenhüttl and his team frolicked on the field at the end, it was hard to think there wasn’t a bit more to their delight than just a prestige victory. The coach spoke after about how his team had wanted to “put on a show”, and one-by-one his players revealed how the aim had been to attack Dortmund from the off. “Playing so offensively in Dortmund can also be a bad idea,” admitted Hasenhüttl, and it hadn’t looked too promising for his side when Stefan Ilsanker’s stumble allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to open the scoring in the fourth minute.
Leipzig hit back quickly though, with Marcel Sabitzer – who found out from Hasenhüttl he’d be wearing the captain’s armband 10 minutes before kick-off, with the team’s three captains Willy Orban, Diego Demme and Emil Forsberg all on the bench – nodding an equaliser. When the indefatigable Yussuf Poulsen tapped in after some brilliant wing play by Bruma, Die Roten Bullen’s bravery was rewarded.
Those players who stepped in deserve much of the credit, with top scorer Timo Werner also an unused substitute, with the squad showing its depth. This was, however, as eloquent an expression of Hasenhüttl’s intelligence as you could wish to see. Dortmund’s excellent defensive record – only two goals conceded in the Bundesliga before – had always seemed an anomaly, and the visitors’ coach sought to expose it.

Poulsen openly admitted after the game that Leipzig’s plan had been “to press very hard when Ömer Toprak was on the ball”, and it worked a treat, as they funnelled BVB’s possession into the hands, or feet, of their least dangerous players. Centre-back Toprak had 105 touches. Goalkeeper Roman Bürki had 78, more than any Leipzig player. “We played it backwards too often,” agreed Bosz. “Not forward, where our good players are.”
It is no secret where Dortmund’s strengths lie, and those qualities should have been enoughfor a point, with Andriy Yarmolenko shanking over an open net late on with an equaliser looming – which would have put a completely different spin on the match, as Dortmund had been trailing 3-1 and a man down early in the second half. That might have been deserved but it might also have covered up to what extent Leipzig expertly poked at Dortmund’s weaknesses, unsettling them with physical play. From that angle, Hasenhüttl’s team lucked out a bit, with Naby Keita sailing perilously close to a third red card of the season.
Most Dortmund fans would probably be disgusted at the thought of giving Leipzig the acknowledgment, but this has – already, just three games into the fixture’s history - developed into an absorbing grudge match. Roll on the first weekend of March, when these two meet again.
• It was back to the future at the Allianz Arena, as Bayern swept aside Freiburg 5-0 in Jupp Heynckes’ return as head coach. “Spaß ist zurück” – fun is back – said the voiceover on ZDF’s Aktuelle Sportstudio, and it certainly felt like that, particularly after half-time as Bayern started to play with real swagger. It was all about that magic word that went missing under Carlo Ancelotti – intensity. This may have been a predictable win but the manner, and the eagerness of Bayern’s pressing, was notable. It wasn’t perfect, with the much-criticised Sven Ulreich’s save from Liverpool loanee Ryan Kent preventing the visitors from taking a shock lead, and Mike Frantz missing a golden chance while it was still 1-0. Soon after came Kingsley Coman’s goal, notable for the reaction of genuine joy on the bench. It felt right that it was finished up by a stylish finish by Joshua Kimmich, who much of the German media are pushing as the new Philipp Lahm – and not just positionally – for the new Heynckes era. Clearly the coach has already identified Kimmich’s importance, with the prolific right-back saying Heynckes had “given me a few tips” in the lead-up.
• Before Julian Nagelsmann assures the succession in eight months’ time as we all expect, he still has work to do with Hoffenheim. He wore an infuriated expression as his side let two points slip in the home game with Augsburg, after Kevin Vogt’s unfortunate own goal. The hunger is certainly there – that much was clear in the way defender Benjamin Hübner smashed a team-mate, the formidable Sandro Wagner, out of the way to score the opener – but maybe the knowhow isn’t at the moment, despite Mark Uth’s sublime strike which almost proved to be the winner. They haven’t won in almost a month, and host Basaksehir on Thursday as they attempt to get some Europa League points on the board.

• It could be worse, of course – he could be Alexander Nouri. The Werder Bremen coach’s job appears to be hanging by a thread after a comprehensive 2-0 home defeat by Borussia Mönchengladbach, in which they never looked like coming back after Lars Stindl’s stunning opener . “The team doesn’t seem to be listening to his instructions,” wrote Bild, and though Nouri was again backed by sporting director Frank Baumann – whose own job has been questioned, with club legend Thomas Schaaf linked with a return – the support sounded more equivocal than before. “We need to work on our mental strength and find solutions on the ball,” said Baumann, which didn’t say much for Nouri’s leadership.

• They face a high noon – or half past noon, anyway – face-off at Köln, still stuck on a single point after a heartbreaking (and ludicrous) late defeat at Stuttgart on Friday. Locked at 1-1 after Dominique Heintz’s superb equaliser, they appeared to have a perfect chance to claim their elusive win after referee Benjamin Cortus awarded them a last-minute penalty. Three minutes and 40 seconds of VAR delay later, Cortus reversed the decision, leaving Stuttgart to go up the other end and fashion a winner, with Chadrac Akolo’s shot taking a huge deflection off Tim Handwerker. Even Stuttgart’s Holger Badstuber described it as “brutal”.
• Hertha began their home game with Schalke by collectively taking a knee – with the coaching staff and backroom team – in solidarity with US sportsmen. It was, unfortunately, the last real impression they made on the afternoon, with their decline accelerated by Genki Haraguchi’s red card on the stroke of half-time. “It felt like they were playing with two extra men,” said Davie Selke after poor defending allowed Leon Goretzka – from a penalty - and Guido Burgstaller score.
• Leverkusen continue to infuriate. They played brilliantly for half-an-hour only to allow Wolfsburg back into the game, shelling a lead twice. Die Wölfe are showing fight under Martin Schmidt, with Divock Origi and Jakub Blaszyszkowski – with his first Bundesliga goal in almost four years – scoring fine equalisers.
• Mainz goalkeeper René Adler almost gifted his old mates from Hamburg a much-needed goal, air-kicking in front of Aaron Hunt, who wasn’t quite switched on enough to take advantage. HSV did score twice, with their first Bundesliga goals since August, but still slipped to a fifth defeat in six.
• It was a second successive last-minute winner for Eintracht Frankfurt – a goal of some quality, rattled in from range by Ante Rebić from Sebastien Haller’s chested pass – to hand Hannover a first home defeat. Nico Kovać’s improving team host Dortmund next.
Results: Stuttgart 2-1 Köln, Bayern Munich 5-0 Freiburg, Hannover 1-2 Frankfurt, Hertha 0-2 Schalke, Hoffenheim 2-2 Augsburg, Mainz 3-2 Hamburg, Borussia Dortmund 2-3 RB Leipzig, Leverkusen 2-2 Wolfsburg, Werder Bremen 0-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach.


SOURCE : GUARDIAN SPORTS
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