Heading into Tuesday night’s fixture, Leipzig were the team in better form, with 5 wins in their last 6 Bundesliga outings. The Reds have been struggling recently, that’s common knowledge, but they were always going to raise their performance after just 2 wins in their last 6 domestic appearances.
The game started at an incredible tempo, with both teams offering fast paced passing, quick movement and showing strength on the counter attack. I found it quite difficult to take my eyes off of my TV screen, so engaged with such a quality game of football. From the 20th minute, Liverpool began to take control after Leipzig had conjured up a couple of chances on the break, with Mane heading over after a quality passing move from the reds, a move that began when Lucas Klostermann was dispossessed on halfway.
Leipzig became progressively risky as the first half went on, with Upamecano continuing to give the ball away and Die Roten Bullen becoming the architects of their own downfall. Gulacsi coming out to clear a through ball led to Robertson striking from the best part of 35 yards, just scraping the top of the goal, sending the Hungarian keeper flying into the back of his own net.
Bayern Munich’s new signing Dayot Upamecano looked shaky, giving the ball away numerous times, the most damaging on the 35th minute where the young frenchman’s mistake led to Sadio Mane cutting the ball back for Firmino to head in past a helpless Gulacsi making his first appearance against his former club. To Leipzig’s rescue, the linesman’s flag, signalling that the ball had in fact crossed the bar line before Mane’s pullback, the score remaining 0-0. That’s exactly how the first half ended, with the disallowed goal and Roberton’s audacious attempt being the best attempt of the game along with Dani Olmo’s strike bouncing away off the post in the 5th minute.
Leipzig had the first chance of the second half, Nkunku drawing the save from Alisson. However it didn’t take long before the German side’s mistakes to have a detrimental effect after a loose back pass from Kampl sent Salah through 1 on 1 and the Egyptian was not missing this one, slotted home neatly past Gulacsi on the left foot. That was on 53 minutes, and just 5 later, Sadio Mane doubled the lead after Nordi Mukiele made yet another error after a hopeful long ball from Curtis Jones was met with a genuinely pathetic defensive attempt from the young french full-back.
Not long after, Mukiele was replaced along with Amadou Haidara, by the experienced duo of Poulsen and Orban, Nagelsmann favouring experience to try and recover from the two goal cushion they may as well have gift wrapped for Liverpool. The Reds grabbed the game by the scruff of its neck, appearing to have little worry about a response from Leipzig, as they just couldn’t seem to find the killer pass to break through the defence.
Roberto Firmino and Thiago’s nights came to an end when they were replaced by Oxlade-Chamberlain and Shaqiri respectively, and Leipzig’s final change coming in the form of Hwan Hee-Chan on for Kampl.
RBL did continue to create chances during the game, but a severe lack of end product led to shots being fired astray and far wide at almost every attempt, Hwang missing a brilliant chance in the 93rd minute, a goal that would’ve provided the German side with so much hope going into the second leg. Liverpool appeared content seeing out the result, one which leaves them with 2 away goals going into the returning fixture, meaning Leipzig will have to score 3 without reply when they travel to Anfield on the 10th March. A solid performance from the Reds at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.
Elsewhere, Mbappe was the star as PSG responded to Lionel Messi’s opener from the spot with a hattrick, along with a Moise Keane strike to leave the score at 1-4 to the away team. A brilliant first Champions League result as Head Coach for Pochettino, dismissing the Blaugrana far too easily.
