RB Leipzig shot its way out of the crisis in the German Bundesliga on Sunday. The Champions League round of 16 scored their first points of this calendar year with a 2-0 home win against Union Berlin at the fourth attempt. The fifth-placed team is now only one point behind Borussia Dortmund in the fight for the CL places. Union legionnaire Christopher Trimmel saw red (73′).
Leipzig had recently gone four league games in a row without a win. The goals against Union were scored by Lois Openda from a goal (14th) and former Salzburg player Benjamin Sesko with a header (48th). ÖFB team player Xaver Schlager played through for the winners, compatriot Nicolas Seiwald came on as a substitute in the finish (85th), Christoph Baumgartner was on the substitutes’ bench. Trimmel had to retire early after a serious foul. The 36-year-old Union captain caught David Raum during a tackle at ankle height.
APA/AFP/Ronny Hartmann
Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim continue winless streaks
Meanwhile, VfL Wolfsburg and TSG Hoffenheim continued their winless streaks in the German Bundesliga. The two medium-sized companies separated 2:2 (0:1) in a direct duel. Wolfsburg have been waiting for a league win for five games, Hoffenheim for six games.
Wolfsburg’s substitute midfielder Lovro Majer (59th, 70th/penalty) twice equalized Hoffenheim’s opening goals by Maximilian Beier (6th) and Grischa Prömel (66th). It was the fourth draw in a row for Wolfsburg, and coach Niko Kovac is increasingly being criticized for the team in eleventh place.
The ÖFB team players Patrick Wimmer and Florian Grillitsch were not there. Wimmer has been missing from Wolfsburg since the end of October due to a torn syndesmosis in his ankle, while Hoffenheim’s Grillitsch served a yellow card suspension.
Fan protests in both games
Both Sunday games were interrupted in the first half due to fan protests against the German Football League (DFL) investor deal. The supporters had thrown numerous small objects onto the pitch; in Leipzig they came from the away block of the Union fans. At the weekend, fans in several other German stadiums reacted with similar protests to the DFL’s plans to involve a financial investor who would receive a percentage of the TV revenue for one billion euros.
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