RB Leipzig secure UEFA Champions League football after clinical display against St. Pauli
Xaver Schlager’s strike on his final Bundesliga appearance at the Red Bull Arena sent RB Leipzig on their way to securing a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League, overcoming a St. Pauli side who struck late through Abdoulie Ceesay, but now face a must-win game against Wolfsburg next weekend.
RB Leipzig 2-1 St. Pauli
Goals: 1-0 Schlager 45’ (assist: Baumgartner), 2-0 Orbán 54’ (assist: Raum), 2-1 Ceesay 86’ (assist: Irvine)
Leipzig entered Matchday 33 with a second chance to secure Champions League football for next season, having missed out on the opportunity the previous week. A win against relegation-threatened Pauli would guarantee a top-four finish.
For the visitors, the stakes were equally high — sitting in the automatic relegation zone, Alexander Blessin's side desperately needed points to keep their survival hopes alive.
Leipzig dominate but Pauli threaten on the counter
Ole Werner's side came out of the blocks quickly, dominating possession and pressing high from the first whistle. Christoph Baumgartner forced a save from Nikola Vasilj in the eighth minute, and a goalmouth scramble saw Ridle Baku somehow fail to convert from close range.
Pauli, however, were dangerous on the break. Martijn Kaars rattled the crossbar after being found by Andréas Hountondji, a moment that summed up the visitors' threat on the counter. Castello Lukeba was booked for a foul on Hountondji, and Eric Smith curled a free-kick wide shortly after.
Leipzig had the lion's share of possession but Pauli's xGoals figure (0.42) at the break reflected their genuine threat from set-piece and counter-attacking situations.
Schlager strikes on the stroke of half-time
Just when it seemed the first half would end goalless, Leipzig broke the deadlock in dramatic fashion. David Raum whipped in a dangerous corner, Baumgartner's goalbound header was blocked, but the ball fell to Schlager, who turned and fired the ball high past Vasilj from eight metres.
It was a moment of real quality from the Austrian midfielder, and a particularly poignant one — it came in what was his final home game for the club.
Orbán heads Leipzig further ahead
Shortly after the break, Assan Ouédraogo saw his effort cannon back off the post following a fine move involving Yan Diomande. From the resulting corner, Raum delivered a perfect ball to the far post and Willi Orbán rose highest to guide a glancing header into the net.
A goal from Brajan Gruda was disallowed for offside just after the hour mark and Baumgartner blazed over from close range as Leipzig sought a third.
Ceesay gives Pauli late hope
Pauli made a series of changes in search of a way back into the game, bringing on Abdoulie Ceesay for Hountondji with less than 20 minutes remaining.
The substitute made an immediate impact, latching onto a header from Jackson Irvine and firing past Maarten Vandevoordt to make it 2-1.
Blessin's side pushed for an equaliser in the dying minutes, with Irvine forcing a save from Vandevoordt in the fifth minute of injury time, but Leipzig held on to claim all three points to confirm their place in next season's Champions League.
Man of the Match: Willi Orbán
Orbán was voted Man of the Match with 36 per cent of the vote, and it was easy to see why. The Leipzig captain headed home the decisive second goal from a Raum corner, his 18th Bundesliga goal scored with his head.
He was also Leipzig's second-most efficient passer on the day, and his commanding presence at the back helped keep St. Pauli's counter-attacking threat at bay throughout the match.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Leipzig 1.49 - Pauli 0.77
Fastest player: Yan Diomande (Leipzig), 35.05 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 2-0 by Willi Orbán (Leipzig), 4 percent
Most pressed player: Brajan Gruda (Leipzig), 26 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Tomoya Andō (Pauli), +3.76
Fantasy Heroes: Willi Orbán (Leipzig, 384 Points), Xaver Schlager (Leipzig, 326 Points), Christoph Baumgartner (Leipzig, 264 Points)
