bundesliga

Marcel Sabitzer and Dani Olmo maintain RB Leipzig’s perfect home record in win over Werder Bremen

xwhatsappmailcopy-link

Goals from Marcel Sabitzer and Dani Olmo were enough for RB Leipzig to win their sixth Bundesliga home match from as many outings this season thanks to a 2-0 win at home to Werder Bremen on Saturday.

RB Leipzig 2-0 Werder Bremen
Goals: 1-0 Sabitzer (pen. 26'), 2-0 Olmo (41')

Victory did not always look on the cards for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, however, as Bremen started aggressively and had a chance inside the opening two minutes when Josh Sargent wriggled free on the right byline and crossed for Kevin Möhwald, who narrowly missed the target at the near post. The visitors were solid at the back as well, and it was 22 minutes before Leipzig created their first chance of note, but Justin Kluivert skewed his shot over the bar from Olmo’s neat flick. Leipzig did take the lead shortly afterwards, though, when Sabitzer stroked home a penalty after Ludwig Augustinsson had fouled Yussuf Poulsen. The hosts then deservedly extended their lead just before half-time when Olmo collected Poulsen’s pass to slot past Jiri Pavlenka from 10 yards.

The second half was comparatively quiet, Bremen seeking to earn a foothold in the game by winning the challenges in midfield, but Leipzig were up for the battle and stood their ground. Chances were few and far between as a result, but Poulsen could have put the game to bed in the 69th minute following a rapid counter-attack involving Olmo and Kluivert, who slipped a pass through for the Danish striker with only Pavlenka to beat. He chipped it over the goalkeeper, but his effort struck the base of the post and was cleared by a defender. It was up to Bremen to chase the game as the final whistle approached, but aside from a couple of half-hearted shots from distance, they never got close to Peter Gulacsi’s goal as Leipzig posted their seventh win of the season.

Match stats

  • Leipzig are the only team in this season's Bundesliga with a 100 per cent home record (six wins from six). Each of the other 17 Bundesliga clubs have dropped points in at least two games on home soil. The Leipzig club record at the Red Bull Arena is seven straight wins (2016/17).
  • Nagelsmann's side have been awarded a league-high six penalties this season. They have scored five of them.
  • Leipzig have not lost any of the last 43 games in which they have scored the opening goal. The last time they did so was in a 4-1 reverse to Borussia Dortmund on 26 August 2018.
  • Olmo scored his first Bundesliga goal of the season, netting with his 22nd effort on goal in 2020/21.
  • Along with Borussia Dortmund, Leipzig have the highest-scoring group of defenders in this season's Bundesliga (five goals).
  • Bremen have not won a single point in five attempts away to Leipzig. Ulm are the only other team Werder have failed to take a point off on the road in their Bundesliga history.

Watch: Olmo: "We have to keep going and good things will come"

Line-ups

Leipzig: Gulacsi - Orban, Upamecano, Halstenberg - Mukiele (Wosz 65'), Sabitzer (c) (Forsberg 72'), Kampl (Adams 46'), Haidara (Sörloth 72') - Olmo, Kluivert (Borkowski 90') - Poulsen
Unused subs: Martinez, Angelino, Konate, Martel
Out: Henrichs (knee), Hwang (not included), Klostermann (knee), Laimer (knee), Nkunku (ankle), Samardzic (not included)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann 

Bremen: Pavlenka - Groß (Osako 89'), Toprak (Moisander 72'), Friedl - Gebre Selassie (c), Eggestein, Möhwald (Mbom 81'), Augustinsson - Schmid (Chong 72'), Bittencourt (Woltemade 81') - Sargent
Subs: Kapino, Veljkovic, Agu, Erras
Out: Füllkrug (calf), Rashica (thigh), Selke (thigh)
Coach: Florian Kohfeldt

Watch: Kluivert: "I'm happy to be part of RB Leipzig"