Brajan Gruda rescues point for RB Leipzig against plucky Wolfsburg
Brajan Gruda scored a superb 89th-minute equaliser as Europe-chasing RB Leipzig twice came from behind to deny Wolfsburg an all-important three points in their battle against relegation.
RB Leipzig 2-2 Wolfsburg
Goals: 0-1 Amoura 52’ (assist: Daghim), 1-1 Diomande 70’ (assist: Gruda), 1-2 Svanberg 78’ (assist: Belocian), 2-2 Gruda 89’
Leipzig came into this Matchday 22 fixture knowing that victory would lift them back above both Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart, and into the Bundesliga's top four. Ole Werner's side were beaten by Mainz in their last home game but bounced back with victory at Cologne last weekend.
Wolfsburg, meanwhile, were only above 16th-placed Werder Bremen on goal difference after winning just one of their previous seven top-flight games. Daniel Bauer's team still had a two-point cushion over the automatic relegation places but were in desperate need ot a victory in their battle to avoid the drop.
The home side dominated the first half, enjoying 65 percent possession and creating several excellent chances to open the scoring.
Yan Diomande tested Kamil Grabara's reflexes with a powerful drive which was tipped around the post by the Wolfsburg keeper, who then did brilliantly to parry Conrad Harder's audacious bicycle kick over the crossbar minutes later.
Gruda was also denied by Grabara before the interval, his low shot parried wide of the post by the Polish custodian after Antonio Nusa had picked out the Brighton & Hove Albion loanee inside the area.
Against the run of play, Wolfsburg stunned the home crowd by taking the lead in the 52nd minute. Adam Daghim showed impressive skill to beat two defenders on the right flank before cutting the ball back to Mohamed Amoura, who swept home past substitute goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt - a first-half replacement for the injured Péter Gulácsi.
Werner responded with a double substitution in the 63rd minute, bringing on Ridle Baku and Rômulo, who became the latest player to be thwarted by Grabara when his close-range header was palmed away by the Wolfsburg goalkeeper.
Leipzig's pressure eventually told, but it was a moment Grabara will want to forget as quickly as possible.
The goalkeeper's attempted clearance fell straight to Gruda, who quickly teed up Diomande for a simple finish.
Wolfsburg were not done yet, though, and restored their advantage in the 78th minute through substitute Mattias Svanberg. Jeanuël Belocian played a perfectly weighted pass into the midfielder, who found space on the left side of the box before sliding a cool finish beyond Vandevoordt.
There was still time for one final twist. With time running out, Leipzig piled forward in search of an equaliser and were rewarded in the 89th minute, when Gruda collected a loose ball inside the box and curled a sublime left-footed shot into the far corner, giving Grabara no chance.
Man of the Match: Yan Diomande
Despite Gruda's late heroics, Diomande earned the Man of the Match honours with an outstanding all-round display.
The forward not only scored Leipzig's crucial first equaliser but was a constant threat throughout the 90 minutes.
His ability to link play and challenge Wolfsburg's defence was evident in his impressive pass efficiency rating of 2.59 - the second-highest for Leipzig. He also recorded seven shots during the match, which was more than any other player on the pitch.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Leipzig 2.97 - Wolfsburg 0.56
Fastest player: Adam Daghim (Wolfsburg), 34.26 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 0-1 by Mohamed Amoura (Wolfsburg), 3.5 percent
Most pressed player: Antonio Nusa (Leipzig), 33 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Max Finkgräfe (Leipzig), +5.67
Fantasy Heroes: Brajan Gruda (Leipzig, 419 Points), Yan Diomande (Leipzig, 350 Points), Kamil Grabara (Wolfsburg, 282 Points)
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