Leipzig is trembling its way into the Europa League round of 16

In the second leg of the second round on Thursday, the defeat was enough for the Saxons, as Leipzig had defeated the leaders of the Italian Serie A 3-1 in their stadium a week ago.

The Polish winger Piotr Zielinski (33rd) and Lorenzo Insigne (86th) scored the goals for the Neapolitans who were running unleashed. Who will be Leipzig's opponents in the round of 8 on March 15th and 16th will be decided at the draw in Nyon on Friday (13.00 p.m.). In Leipzig's debut season in the European Cup, coach Ralph Hasenhüttl's team can continue to dream of the final on May 16th in Lyon, France.

30 years ago, Napoli, led by club legend Diego Armando Maradona, prevailed against city rivals Lok Leipzig in the second round of the UEFA Cup and ultimately won the competition. Since Hasenhüttl had to do without Naby Keita (thigh strain) and captain Willi Orban (cut) due to injuries, he relied, unlike the first leg, on the half-Italian Diego Demme and the 18-year-old central defender Ibrahima Konate. In addition, the Brazilian Bernardo played on the left flank for Lukas Klostermann, who was recently frequently used.

The fact that Napoli did not want to give up their place in the round of 16 without a fight, despite all their concentration on the domestic league, was also reflected in the line-up. While coach Maurizio Sarri had spared many of the regulars in the first duel, this time defense chief Raul Albiol, Insigne, midfield engine Allan and top striker Dries Mertens were part of the starting line-up.

In front of 36.163 spectators, the guests' increase in playing ability was immediately noticeable. Especially at the beginning of the first half, they established themselves in the Leipzig half, the lightning-fast Insigne caused a stir on the left side. Nevertheless, Napoli initially did not have any compelling chances to score. RB had that. SSC defender Lorenzo Tonelli headed a shot from winger Marcel Sabitzer (14th) from around 19 meters onto his own crossbar. But Napoli remained dangerous. After RB goalkeeper Gulacsi was able to fend off an attempt by Insigne, Zielinski pushed the ball over the line.

In the second half, Leipzig came out of the locker room more courageously, striker Yussuf Poulsen (49th) narrowly missed a cross from national player Timo Werner in front of the goal. As a result, Naples remained in control of the game, even if RB advanced into the opponent's penalty area more often than in the first half. The SSC's insistence on reaching the round of XNUMX was noticeable at all times.

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Hockey

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Leipzig is trembling its way into the Europa League round of 16

With a lot of luck in the round of 0: Bundesliga soccer team RB Leipzig shivered their way into the next round of the Europa League with a 2:0 (1:XNUMX) against a stormy SSC Napoli.

Suggestions

Comments (0)