RB Leipzig has stumbled over VfL Wolfsburg again and is increasingly losing touch with the top of the table. Three and a half weeks after the second-round defeat in the DFB Cup, coach Marco Rose’s team also lost 1:2 (0:1) to the Wolves in the Bundesliga – despite clear superiority.
Jonas Wind (9th) scored his ninth goal of the season for the lucky VfL, for whom the Brazilian Rogerio also scored for the first time (66th) – Yussuf Poulsen scored the equalizer for RB after 52 minutes.
To the live ticker: Wolfsburg – Leipzig Arrow right 12th matchday Arrow right
Wolfsburg’s first win after five games without a win
With the victory, the Wolfsburg team achieved a long-awaited liberation. After five league games without a win, coach Niko Kovac, who had recently come under increasing criticism, was finally able to celebrate again.
Leipzig started off erratically. First, David Raum invited the opponent to the first good chance through Mattias Svanberg with a catastrophic pass, and a little later another mistake allowed Wolfsburg to take the lead.
Wind benefits from Blaswich fault
Attacker Wind actually only pushed a semi-dangerous header towards the RB goal. But Janis Blaswich, who was nominated for the national team for the first time last week and had made a strong save against Svanberg, slipped the ball through his fingers and behind the line.
Without the injured Timo Werner (adductor), the Leipzig team tried to find a quick answer in the 250th Bundesliga game in their club’s history – the busy Lois Openda was denied by Koen Casteels (17th) from a tight angle, as was Poulsen’s header three minutes later.
Inka Blumensaat, sports show, November 25th, 2023 6:42 p.m
Penalty withdrawn after video evidence
With fast combination football, the now dominant guests increasingly pushed VfL into their own half, but the strong Casteels kept the score until the break despite further RB chances – also because referee Robert Hartmann justifiably took back a penalty after viewing the video images and Openda for a swallow showed the yellow card.
In the second half, Leipzig finally rewarded themselves for their offensive enthusiasm. Openda served Poulsen exemplary, who scored the equalizer on his debut as RB captain.
In what was now a heated game, Leipzig kept their foot on the accelerator, but the goal was scored by the hosts, with captain Maximilian Arnold again only coming on in the final phase. Out of nowhere, VfL combined impressively forward, where Rogerio completed Wind’s preparatory work with a powerful shot into the right corner.
Wolfsburg in Bochum, Leipzig welcomes Heidenheim
The Wolves will face VfL Bochum next matchday (Saturday, December 2nd, 2023 at 3:30 p.m.). RB Leipzig is hosting 1. FC Heidenheim at the same time.
