2024-10-03 06:10:24
Aluminum hits, red cards, penalties and dream goals – Leipzig’s game against Juventus had it all. RB is left empty-handed despite taking the lead twice and being in the majority for 30 minutes.
RB Leipzig loses again despite being in the lead in the Champions League. This time even a two-fold lead and a superior number of personnel were not enough for the first victory. After the bitter last-minute defeat at Atlético Madrid (1:2), the Bundesliga club lost 2:3 (1:0) in the second preliminary round game of the premier class against Italian record champions Juventus Turin.
Benjamin Sesko (30th minute/65th/hand penalty) gave Leipzig the lead twice in front of 45,228 spectators in the sold-out Red Bull Arena. Dusan Vlahovic (50th/65th) equalized twice for the guests before substitute Francisco Conceicao (83rd) scored the winner. Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio (58th) was shown a red card for handball outside the penalty area according to video evidence.
In the duel between the best Italian defense with zero goals conceded in Serie A against the currently best German defense with two goals conceded, both teams started their first meeting with a lot of tactical banter. After a harmless Juve attack, RB goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi hit a long shot to Lois Openda, who beat Juve captain Bremer with a legal upper body check and then tried to pass into the middle. Pierre Kalulu almost slipped the ball into his own goal. Bremer had to leave the field injured after the action and Federico Gatti came on to replace him (6th). Just six minutes later, Nico Gonzalez had to go down due to injury and Francisco Conceicao came on to replace him.
After a save by Gulacsi after a 25-meter shot by Teun Koopmeiners, the keeper made the game quick again. Openda played a dream pass in the center into the path of Sesko, who slammed the ball unstoppably under the crossbar while running at full speed. It was his fifth goal of the season. For the Turin team, who have not conceded a goal in Serie A, it was only the second goal conceded this season, after the first in the 3-1 opening win against PSV Eindhoven.
Juve called for a penalty after contact with star striker Vlahovic (37th). But referee Francois Letexier (France), who also refereed the European Championship final this summer, allowed play to continue after a short VAR check. A subsequent shot from Nicolo Fagioli (44th) went just wide. The technically adept Italians had a little more play towards the end of the first half and tried more shots from the second row like Conceicao (45th + 3).
With the restart, Rose made some tactical changes, bringing in all-rounder Benjamin Henrichs for the defensive midfield and bringing Haidara into the offensive for Baumgartner. Juve then had their first big chance with Koopmeiners (48th), who had a free shot in the penalty area but only hit the post. Vlahovic (50′) did better when he shot the ball into the goal at full speed at the near post to make it 1-1. On the other side, Openda (53′) hit the post with a curling shot.
Then the VAR had to intervene again. The Juve goalkeeper used his hand to help him run out against Openda outside the penalty area. This was followed by a red card (58th) for the keeper. On the following free kick from Xavi Simons, Douglas Luiz, who had just been substituted, raised his hand with his first contact – penalty. Sesko safely converted to take the lead (65th). Vlahovic was able to equalize again with a shot into the corner. Substitute Nusa (79′) had the winning goal on his feet, but a Juve player intervened. Substitute Conceicao then caught Leipzig off guard with the goal to make it 3-2.