RB Leipzig make amends after their defeat at the opening match against Salzburg. Bayer Leverkusen remains without loss of points even after the second matchday. Heiko Herrlich’s perfect joker sticks.
Bayer Leverkusen – AEK Larnaka 4:2 (1:1)
By beating AEK Larnaka 4:2 (1:1), Bayer Leverkusen took a big step on the way to the round of the last 32 in the Europa League. The leading goal for the Cypriots was scored in the 25th minute by Ivan Trickovski from an offside position. In the 44th minute Kai Havertz was able to equal the score. It was the 19-year-old’s third goal in his second Europa League appearance. Bayer’s 49th-minute lead was taken by freshly substituted Lucas Alario, who also provided the decisive 3-1 lead (88 minutes). In injury time, Dimitris Raspas scored for Larnaka and Julian Brandt for Bayer.
The guest from Cyprus started off offensively and caused disorder in the newly formed Leverkusen defence again and again. Coach Heiko Herrlich, among others, gave Jonathan Tah a break after losing 4-2 in the Bundesliga against Borussia Dortmund. For him Aleksandar Dragovic moved into the starting eleven. He was the one who didn’t look good when the visitors scored the first goal.
After a high cross into the Bayer penalty area, the following header came to Trickovski, who reacted faster than Dragovic and placed the ball from six meters into the right corner. The equaliser for Leverkusen was preceded by a quick attack from the left. Karim Bellarabi played the ball flat in the middle, where Havertz deliberately finished into the long corner.
Shortly after the change, Alario, who had only entered the field in the second half, turned the game around. The visitors also complained about an offside position in this goal. Referee Yevhen Aranovskiy did not whistle – luck for Bayer. Shortly before the end, Alario increased again to 3:1 (88th minute) after a strong counterattack. The final? Not quite. First Raspas could bring the guest back to 2:3 (90.+1), then Brandt scored in return for the final score of 4:2 (90.+2).
On October 25th Leverkusen travels to FC Zurich, second in the group. The Swiss also have six points after a 1-0 win against Ludogorez Rasgrad.
Lucas Alario Honours
- River Plate
- Copa Libertadores: 2015
- Suruga Bank Championship: 2015
- Recopa Sudamericana: 2016
- Copa Argentina: 2016, 2017
International
- Argentina
- Superclásico de las Américas: 2017
Rosenborg Trondheim – RB Leipzig 1:3 (0:1)
RB Leipzig have won their first match of the Europa League season after their 2:3 opening defeat against Red Bull Salzburg. 3:1 (1:0) won the team of coach Ralf Rangnick at the current Norwegian champion Rosenborg Trondheim. The Norwegians, who have a four-point advantage over the runners-up in the domestic elite series six matchdays before the end of the season, were never able to make Leipzig dangerous.
It only took twelve minutes until the first Leipzig goal was scored. After a long ball from Diego Demme on Jean-Kévin Augustin, the French striker first let Rosenborg defender Reginiussen drop goals and then circling the ball into the left corner. Norwegian goalkeeper André Hansen had no chance.
Leipzig kept the pressure on after the opening goal and seemed at least one number too big for the Norwegians – but failed to add the second goal. Twelve times the Leipziger shot alone in the first half toward the Trondheim goal. Jeffrey Bruma missed the best chance after the leading goal in the 19th minute, but Hansen, who reacted excellently, parried his shot.
Trondheim came out of the box a little better in the second half, but only eight minutes after the restart he had to accept the second Leipzig goal. In the 54th minute Willi Orban headed his central defender colleague Ibrahima Konaté after a corner from Marcel Halstenberg, who had the ball right in front of his feet and he hit over Hansen.
The Bundesliga side were now in a bit of a frenzy. With the 19th shot on goal, Sommerzugang Matheus Cunha scored in the 61st minute top left to 3:0. After the 3:0 changed RB – and drove back a gear. So also cup goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo could distinguish himself with two parades. In the 80th minute, however, the Leipzig goalkeeper also had no chance: Trondheim’s Joker Issam Jebali met Jonathan Levi’s preparatory work for the follow-up goal.
In Group B, Salzburg also won their second match against Celtic Glasgow 3-1 (0-1). Leipzig will pass Celtic in the table and will be level on points with the Scots in second place. WinnerMillion offers their new players a massive welcoming bonus.