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Bundesliga, matchday 26
Coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team wins lackluster on promotion and avoids another mistake in the title race with Bayern. A man becomes a match winner on the mountain pasture.
Three important points for RB Leipzig in the title race with FC Bayern: Coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team won 1-0 (0-0) at Arminia Bielefeld at the start of Matchday 26 and remains close to the champions record. The Saxons fought their hostile hosts for a long time. Marcel Sabitzer scored just after the break for RB (46.). This means that Leipzig (57 points) is at least temporarily one point behind the leader Bavaria (58).
“I think we made it unnecessarily exciting,” Leipzig sporting director Markus Krösche said after the game on DAZN. “But Bielefeld passionately defended.” Seen throughout the duration of the game, the victory is “deserved”. Arminias Arne Maier analyzed “a very intense running game”. “All the players tried to give their all.”
Bielefeld was not rewarded for a great fight. The East Westphalian newcomer suffered a setback five days after the liberating 2-1 at Bayer Leverkusen, although it wasn’t too surprising. Coach Frank Kramer’s team could slip back into a relegation zone after Matchday 26.
Olmo had the first big opportunity
“If we lose again, Bayern will leave” – Nagelsmann’s warning words before the game had apparently reached his side, and the Leipzig side immediately put pressure on them. Kevin Kampl, who will be absent after his fifth yellow card against Bayern, acted as a ball distributor in front of RB’s three-man chain, but Arminia overall staggered and put in a lot of effort.
There were still chances: Spanish international Dani Olmo reached a conclusion in the opening phase against Stefan Ortega, but failed (4th). Soon after, the once more convincing Arminia goalkeeper had to intervene for the first time when Emil Forsberg (12th) closed.
Bielefeld only briefly broke free from the guests’ long phases of ball possession and set cautious accents themselves, but these were not dangerous. The quick RB pros found only a few rooms on the other side, and a real game of patience developed for the guests.
Bielefeld awaited the counterattack
The attempts of Marcel Halstenberg (30 °) and Tyler Adams (40 °) were too imprecise, Christopher Nkunku actually did everything right when he graduated from an acute angle, but Ortega directed the ball with a strong reflex to the crossbar (43 °) . At the rear, Leipzig, the best defense in the league, initially allowed nothing more than a blocked finish from Japan’s Ritsu Doan (41st).
Sabitzer’s goal from close up after heavy preparatory work by Olmo gave the guests security shortly after the restart. Leipzig, who are chasing the first major title in their club’s history not only in the Bundesliga but also in the DFB Cup this season, immediately pushed for their second goal.
The increasingly tired Bielefeld was waiting for a counterattack, captain Fabian Klos negligently hit one of these (56th). On the ever poorer grass of the Alm, it remained refreshing and exciting, with a shot from distance by Amadou Haidara (64th), RB was only a few inches from the preliminary decision. Substitute Hwang Hee-chan was also unsuccessful twelve minutes later.
