RB Leipzig have advanced to the next round of the DFB Cup. The Saxons won 3:1 against TSG Hoffenheim. However, an incident in the stands overshadowed the victory.
Depressed mood, restrained jubilation: DFB Cup specialist RB Leipzig took the next hurdle on the way to successfully defending their title on a cloudy evening. The Saxons won their round of 16 match against weak Bundesliga rivals TSG Hoffenheim 3-1 (2-0) on Wednesday evening, overshadowed by a medical emergency, and still need two wins to reach their fourth final in five years.
At the same time, RB continued its impressive run: coach Marco Rose’s team is unbeaten in 17 competitive matches. TSG is still waiting for its first win in a competitive match since October.
Emil Forsberg (8th) and Konrad Laimer (41st) gave the Champions League eighth-finalists a comfortable lead before the break. Kasper Dolberg (77th) reduced the deficit and briefly created suspense in the final phase – until Timo Werner (84th) scored for Leipzig. Hoffenheim’s Stanley N’Soki (86th) was shown a yellow card shortly before the end.
The brief cheering after the goals broke the otherwise mostly prevailing silence in the stands. Due to a medical emergency, the RB supporters restricted their support. A person had to be resuscitated at the stadium entrance before the match. She received emergency medical care and was taken to hospital.
Rose rotated the team, among other things putting Norwegian Örjan Nyland in goal for Janis Blaswich. For TSG, newcomer Thomas Delaney was initially on the bench.
On the pitch, Leipzig initially left no doubt about their own ambitions. Rose’s team came out of the dressing room with great confidence and offensive drive. After winning the ball, RB switched quickly but was too imprecise in its passing. Forsberg did better, scoring from around 20 metres to take the lead.
The atmosphere affected the play of both teams. Leipzig and Hoffenheim made a lot of mistakes and lacked concentration, and rarely did a team penetrate dangerously into the opponent’s final third. In one of the few good actions, Andre Silva narrowly missed a sharp cross from Marcel Halstenberg.
Shortly before the break, Leipzig found new momentum. Long diagonal balls to Halstenberg proved to be a tried and tested method, and Leipzig had several chances to finish in the penalty area. Laimer, who is said to be on the verge of a move to Bayern Munich, increased the lead. Silva (43rd) and Timo Werner (44th) had further chances.
Leipzig seemed to be on course after the break. TSG had few offensive ideas, and even the substitution of Delaney did not have the hoped-for effect at first. RB controlled the match in a weakening encounter, but often acted negligently and did little with their superior play.
This took its revenge when TSG got back into the game through Dolberg and took heart. In the final minutes, Hoffenheim tried to increase the pressure. The Leipzig fans now cheered their team on a little louder.