2023-05-02 23:11:18
SYou can hardly groove into a cup semi-final more harmoniously. In the Freiburg Arena, shortly before the kick-off of the duel between SC Freiburg, fourth in the Bundesliga, and RB Leipzig, fifth in the Bundesliga, the jubilant pictures from Munich were played again. From April 4, when the Bundesliga fourth in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup kicked the Bundesliga first and German champions FC Bayern out of the competition with a 2-1 victory. So much for the dream.
And now to reality. To see the cup finalists again on May 21, 2022, when RB was only a little bit ahead of Sport-Club by winning the penalty shootout. And this time, when it came to qualifying for the final on June 3rd in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, Leipzig were far better, as they are now the first finalist in the cup final.
The hoped-for cup thriller aroused no more speculation early on as to who would be the perpetrator and who the victim. RB Leipzig played the full range of their great opportunities in Freiburg during the first half and were behind after 45 minutes thanks to the magical combination of goals from Dani Olmo (13th minute), Benjamin Henrichs (15th), Dominik Szoboszlai (39th) and the strong as before his injury misery this season, triumphant Nkunku (45+1) uncatchable 4-0 ahead. In the end it was 5:1 for the unchallenged winner after Gregoritsch’s 1:4 (75′) and Szoboszlai’s final penalty kick shortly before the final whistle (90’+7′).
In the four previous cup rounds, SC Freiburg only had to concede three goals. This time, however, the otherwise so strong defensive team with the power, the speed and the enthusiasm of the Leipzig team, kindled by Szoboszlai, Nkunku, Werner and the outstanding Spaniard Olmo, who was involved in all four goals, could not keep up.
Clear superiority: Leipzig cheers after a splendid first half
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Image: EPA
The Freiburg football coach Christian Streich, who has long been a coaching institution in German football, made a fatal mistake this time when composing his team. He relied on a combination of three and five defense from the start. The players, who seemed overwhelmed early on, couldn’t cope with the roles that Streich had assigned them, given the expansive pace in Leipzig.
The pros of the SC, as Streich also knows, usually feel more comfortable in a back four. He corrected his mistake after twenty minutes, taking right rail player Sildilla off and relieving his top scorer of the season, Grifo, from his wait on the bench. But the signs for winners and losers were already set. It was 2-0 for the dominant Leipzig. A balance that continued to earn interest until the break.
The scene after the break caused excitement when Leipzig central defender Gvardiol illegally held substitute Freiburg Sallai on the way into the RB penalty area, so that referee Jablonski sent the Croatian off the field with a red card after a tip from video referee Benjamin Brand ( 59.).
The game became harder and uglier, with a small, rabid part of the Freiburg crowd throwing objects at the Leipzig stars. But the game was far from turning the tide. Gregoritsch’s goal to make it 4-1 was nothing more than a small correction to the result, which RB countered with Soboszlai’s penalty to finish well for Leipzig.
After all, on Saturday (3.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky) there is an opportunity for Freiburg to take revenge on an everyday basis when it is again against RB Leipzig in the same place. This time in the Bundesliga, when there is a lot at stake again: a qualifying spot for the upcoming Champions League competition. Freiburg is still fourth and Leipzig fifth in the table. Since football in the Bundesliga has been more changeable this season than it has been for a long time, even the 5-1 cup triumph of the Saxons does not have to be a signal for the reunion four days later.
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