Last-minute defeat at RB Leipzig

The Werkself conceded the winning goal in the third minute of added time.

Tayfun Korkut fielded the same starting eleven against RB Leipzig that played in the 2-0 win at Darmstadt in the week. After his one-game ban, Charles Aránguiz started on the bench alongside Leon Bailey. The Bayer 04 coach had to make do without Chicharito (thigh), Jonathan Tah (rehab training), Lars Bender (ankle) and Hakan Calhanoglu (CAS ban).

Werkself endeavour to take control

Leipzig were first out of the blocks and they succeeded in breaking up the Werkself build-up play. The Bayer 04 keeper Bernd Leno was called into action for the first time on three minutes: A diagonal ball from Leipzig’s Timo Werner found Marcel Sabitzer on the right side of the Werkself penalty area but his shot to the near post was kept out by the Germany goalkeeper with a brilliant reflex save. Leno also saved efforts from Werner on seven and nine minutes. The in-form Werkself shot-stopper also saved a strike from Marcel Sabitzer on ten minutes.

It took 20 minutes before Korkut’s team could break free from the hosts’ pressure and the Werkself grew stronger by the minute. RB Leipzig continued to pose a threat and a curler from Emil Forsberg on 28 minutes was the last decent chance for the Saxon team in the first half.

No penalty

The Werkself were unlucky on 33 minutes: Julian Brandt chested the ball down in the opposition box and wanted to shoot but Stefan Ilsanker intervened with his upper arm only for the referee Robert Kampka not to award a spot-kick – a contentious decision. The Werkself had more and more of the game but Karim Bellarabi’s shots on 40 and 44 went unrewarded. The two teams went into the half-time break all square at 0-0.

Korkut was forced into making a change at the break: The birthday boy Bellarabi went off with a thigh problem to be replaced by Leon Bailey. The 19-year-old Jamaican impressed for Bayer 04 on the left wing in his third Bundesliga appearance: First, he set up Kai Havertz on 47 minutes and then he won a free-kick on the edge of the opposition penalty area. Kevin Kampl’ took it but he hit the Leipzig wall and his follow-up shot went wide of the target on 56 minutes. Bailey hit a fierce shot goalwards on 67 minutes but the RBL keeper Péter Gulásci was able to make the save.

Werkself take control

The game developed into into an entertaining affair with Korkut’s men gaining the upper hand. The second in the table team focussed more and more on playing on the break via the speedy Werner. With 69 minutes on the clock, Kampl raced back to make a sliding tackle to prevent Leipzig making the most of another counter via Werner. Goalscoring opportunities were few and far between in the closing stages of the game. The Leipzig captain Willy Orban was sent off on 88 minutes for a second bookable offence.

Just when everything pointed to a draw the Werkself suffered a severe blow in added time. Leipzig launched another counter-attack on 93 minutes via Forsberg who crossed the ball into the box for Yussuf Poulsen to open the scoring with a shot off the post. A final effort from Werkself failed to produce a leveller before referee Kampka blew for full-time.

The Werkself are back in action on Easter Saturday (18.30 CET) in the top game on matchday 29 against league leaders Bayern Munich.

Match stats

RB Leipzig: Gulásci – Ilsanker, Orban, Compper – Bernardo, Keita, Demme, Burke (Poulsen 73’) – Sabitzer, Forsberg (D. Kaiser 95’)– Werner (Upamecano 91’)

Bayer 04: Leno – Hilbert, Jedvaj, Toprak, Wendell (Henrichs 69’) – Baumgartlinger, Kampl – Bellarabi (Bailey 46’), Brandt (Kießling 87’) – Havertz, Volland

Goals: 1-0 Poulsen (93’)

Booked: Orban / Wendell (seventh yellow card)

Sent off: Orban (88’, second yellow)

Referee: Dr. Robert Kampka (Mainz)

Attendance: 42,558 (sell out)