Hwang caps routine Leipzig win

NUREMBERG 0-3 LEIPZIG
Goals: 0-1 Haidara (3'), 0-2 Poulsen (66'), 0-3 Hwang (89')

Less than a month had passed since Leipzig’s historic run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals came to an end, but the Bundesliga side started with a real spring in their step at the Max Morlock-Stadtion. Hwang was denied by Christian Mathenia after an earlier mistake by the Nuremberg goalkeeper, but reacted quickest to the loose ball. The South Korea international fed new captain Marcel Sabitzer, whose cute cut-back was swept home by Amadou Haidara. Lukas Klostermann went closest to a second goal in a wholly one-sided first half.

Leipzig were slow to get going after the restart, but still Peter Gulacsi had precious little to do, save a low stop to his right from substitute Johannes Geis’ speculative strike. Leipzig substitute Yussuf Poulsen found the side netting with his first chance of note after replacing Christopher Nknuku, but made no mistake with his second. Tyler Adams started a wonderful passing move, which culminated in the big Dane sweeping in Hwang’s cut-back. Marcel Halstenberg curled wide from a corner with the goal at his mercy, but Leipzig’s place in the second round was never in any doubt. Hwang’s late close-range strike added gloss to the scoreline.

• As well as Hwang, Benjamin Henrichs also made his competitive Leipzig debut.
• Nuremberg head coach Robert Klauß worked at Leipzig for 10 years, initially as assistant coach in the youth academy before taking charge of the U17s, then the U19s and the reserves. He was first-team assistant from 2018 until this summer.
• Sarpreet Singh - on loan at Nuremberg - made his Bundesliga debut for Bayern Munich against Werder Bremen on Matchday 15 last season, the first of two top-flight appearances.
• Tom Krauß, 19, is on a two-year loan at Nuremberg from Leipzig.
• Leipzig have now won five of the team's seven meetings.
• Poulsen, who is Leipzig's longest-serving player after joining the club in July 2013, has featured in all seven games against Nuremberg, registering two goals and three assists.

Nuremberg: Nuremberg: Mathenia - Valentini (c), Mühl, Sörensen, Handwerker - Krauß, Nürnberger, Dovedan (Lohkemper 63), Singh (Hack 63') - Köpke (Geis 46'), Schleusener (Behrens 83')
Unused subs: Früchtl, Zrelak, Sorg, Margreitter
Out: Besong (knee), Klandt (Achilles tendon), Misidjan (match fitness)
Coach: Robert Klauß

Leipzig: Gulacsi - Klostermann, Upamecano (Henrichs 83'), Halstenberg (Orban 72') - Adams, Sabitzer (c) (Forsberg 46'), Haidara, Angelino - Olmo (Kampl 83'), Nkunku (Poulsen 59') - Hwang
Unused subs: Tschauner, Lookman, Samardzic, Mukiele
Out: Hartmann (knee), Konate (hip)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann

NUREMBERG 0-3 LEIPZIG
Goals: 0-1 Haidara (3'), 0-2 Poulsen (66'), 0-3 Hwang (89')
Nuremberg: Mathenia - Valentini (c), Mühl, Sörensen, Handwerker - Krauß, Nürnberger, Dovedan (Lohkemper 63), Singh (Hack 63') - Köpke (Geis 46'), Schleusener (Behrens 83')
Leipzig: Gulacsi - Klostermann, Upamecano (Henrichs 83'), Halstenberg (Orban 72') - Adams, Sabitzer (c) (Forsberg 46'), Haidara, Angelino - Olmo (Kampl 83'), Nkunku (Poulsen 59') - Hwang

FULL TIME!

Threeasy peasy for Leipzig. Utterly professional from Nagelsmann's lot, and a comfortable win. Adams the centre-back and Hwang the heir to Werner the key takeaways from this one.

90' GOAL! HWANG!

Hwang gets his debut goal. Krauß plays his team into trouble, and Forsberg is on it in a flash. Mathenia fumbles the Swede's low strike; Poulsen can't turn it home but does knock the ball back for Hwang, who makes no mistake. Leipzig flying through to the second round.

89' AROUND THE GROUNDS

No casualties to report so far, with Bundesliga quintet Frankfurt, Wolfsburg, Gladbach, Augsburg and Cologne all leading lower-league opposition by an aggregate score of 26-2.

83' CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

Monaco loanee Benjamin Henrichs makes his Leipzig debut, with Upamecano making way. Kevin Kampl's also on for Olmo, while Hanno Behrens gets a run out for Nuremberg in place of Schleusener.

78' HALF CHANCE

Mühl whips an inviting ball into the Leipzig box for Schleusener, who glances his attempted header wide. Nuremberg still to seriously trouble the visiting defence.

76' CAT AND MOUSE

Leipzig play keep-ball as Forsberg feeds Olmo in the Nuremberg box. He looks to have tried one feint to many, but manages to regain possession and feed Poulsen. A slightly heavy first touch allows the hosts to swarm, though, and take the sting out of the Dane's eventual shot, which doesn't trouble Mathenia.

72' LEIPZIG CHANGE

Willi Orban, Leipzig's former captain, replaces Halstenberg. Leipzig reverting to a back four, it would seem...

70' SHOULD BE THREE

Nuremberg leave Marcel Halstenberg completely unmarked as Angelino bends a corner towards the penalty spot. The Germany international has time and space to pick his spot, but drags wide. Nagelsmann and Co. can't believe he missed that!

66' GOAL! POULSEN

No messing about from Poulsen this time. Adams picks off a half clearance to set the wheels in motion. Leipzig then play some lovely stuff in the Nuremberg half, with Forsberg sliding a cute ball into the box for Hwang to chase. He drops his shoulder to carve out space on the right, and finds Poulsen with a fine cut-back. The first-time finish is pretty tidy, too!

65' WIDE FROM POULSEN

Dani Olmo splits the Nuremberg defence in two with a fine through ball for the run of Poulsen. He only has Mathenia to beat, but tickles the side netting.

61' GULACSI WITH THE SAVE

Peter Gulacsi finally has something to do in the Leipzig goal, the Hungarian diving low to his right to smother a speculative effort from Geis.

59' POULSEN ON

Yussuf Poulsen enters the fray in place of Nkunku. The Dane will give Leipzig more of a presence up top - they haven't got going since the break.

46' FORSBERG HIT

Forsberg drives goalwards with almost his first touch. Mathenia can only punch - luckily, no Leipzig players are following in.

SECOND HALF

Under way again at the Max-Morlock-Stadion. Emil Forsberg is on for Leipzig captain Marcel Sabitzer, while former Mainz and Schalke midfielder Johannes Geis has replaced Pascal Köpke for the hosts.

HALF-TIME! NUREMBERG 0-1 LEIPZIG

Mathenia's mistake and Haidara's composed finish is the difference at the break. Leipzig have been dominant, and look like they have a few more gears to go through yet.

44' LEIPZIG HOLD FIRM

Nuremberg's front two of Köpke and Schleusener threaten to combine in the Leipzig area, but the visitors get it clear. Great work under press from Angelino, in particular.

40' NKUNKU ON THE PROWL

Leipzig have used the diagonal long ball to great effect in this first half. Olmo pings another laser-guided ball into the path of Nkunku, whose first touch is a tad heavy and takes him away from Mathenia's goal. Moments earlier, the Frenchman was very nearly on the end of a quick free-kick, but Mathenia beat him to it.

31' HOPE FOR NUREMBERG

Schleusener gets in behind freshly capped France international Upamecano - not many do! - but is off balance and scoops over on his left foot.

24' NEARLY A SECOND GOAL

Lukas Klostermann knows nothing about it as Sabitzer's in-swinging corner pings goalwards off his back. Mathenia is scrambling - and beaten - but the ball drops just wide.

22' OLMO STINGER

Dani Olmo has a pop from a good 20 yards. It's got some real swerve on it, but Mathenia bats it clear. Luckily for him, a Nuremberg shirt is first to the rebound. Leipzig enjoying 84 percent possession - says it all...

13' KLOSTERMANN LURKING

Angelino's at it again with a chipped ball in behind the Nuremberg defence. Christopher Nkunku crosses towards the far post, but Lukas Klostermann - almost acting as a right winger so far today - can't direct it goalwards.

12' ADAMS AT CENTRE-BACK

It would appear Tyler Adams - a midfielder by trade, but also capable of playing right-back - is lining up as the central player in Leipzig's three-man defence. The American has shown some neat touches, and is always making himself available.

8' LEIPZIG ON TOP

Haidara's almost in again. He makes a run into the Nuremberg area from deep, attempting to take Angelino's raking ball on his chest. Nuremberg get men back and survive - for now.

3' GOAL! NUREMBERG 0-1 LEIPZIG

Dreadful start for Nuremberg. Christian Mathenia plays the ball straight to a Leipzig shirt. Hwang attempts to round the Nuremberg goalkeeper, who scrambles back to make a decent save. Hwang collects the loose ball, though, and finds Sabitzer, who smartly cuts the ball back for Haidara to stroke home from 18 yards. Fine finish.

KICK-OFF!

Under way in Nuremberg. No fans in attendance, remember...

BANANA SKIN ALERT

Hertha Berlin are the first Bundesliga victims to fall prey to lower-league opposition in this season's DFB Cup. The Old Lady went down 5-4 to Bundesliga 2 outfit Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday.

LIFE AFTER WERNER

Timo Werner was Leipzig's top scorer in the Bundesliga last term with 28 goals, but has since joined Chelsea. Patrik Schick, who scored ten times whilst on loan from Roma has joined Bayer Leverkusen, with Hwang Hee-Chan coming in to help fill the void. The South Korea international helped himself to 16 goals and 21 assists in 38 matches in all competitions as former club Salzburg romped to a league and cup double. "You only have to look at his thighs," commented Nagelsmann earlier this week. "He's the full package." Leipzig have also brought in Benjamin Henrichs on loan from Monaco, and re-signed Manchester City's Angelino for another 12 months. Eighteen-year-old playmaker Lazar Samardzic has penned permanent terms, after plundering 14 goals and nine assists for the Hertha Berlin U19s in 2019/20, and could prove a real coup.

NUREMBERG SEASON REVIEW

Nuremberg finished bottom of the Bundesliga in 2018/19, and very nearly dropped down to the third tier at the end of 2019/20. An inferior goal difference sent them into the relegation play-offs, where they scraped past regional rivals Ingolstadt on away goals, Fabian Schleusener scoring in the 96th minute of the second leg to save Der Club's bacon and secure another campaign of Bundesliga 2 football.

LEIPZIG SEASON REVIEW

Leipzig led the 2019/20 Bundesliga standings at the halfway stage, but their form dipped in the new year. Nagelsmann's side won seven and drew eight of their 17 Rückrunde fixtures, sliding down pecking order to third behind champions Bayern Munich and runners-up Borussia Dortmund. Beaten finalists in 2018/19, they exited last season's cup in the round of 16, but enjoyed a memorable run to the Champions League semi-finals, where they lost to Paris Saint-Germain.

NUREMBERG TEAM NEWS

Bayern Munich loanee Sarpreet Singh starts in attacking midfield for the hosts, but Bayern-owned goalkeeper Christian Früchtl has to make do with a place on the bench. Coach Robert Klauß, who was Nagelsmann's assistant at Leipzig last term, also brings in right winger Nikola Dovedan as he prepares to go toe-to-toe with his former mentor.

LEIPZIG TEAM NEWS

With Timo Werner moving on, summer new Hwang Hee-Chan makes his competitive debut at the expense of Yussuf Poulsen. Tyler Adams and Amadou Haidara also come in, with summer recruits Lazar Samardzic and Benjamin Henrichs among a strong-looking bench.

WELCOME!

Leipzig have not even had a month off following their historic run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. Julian Nagelsmann's men are in Nuremberg in the DFB Cup first round, with just one week until the new Bundesliga season gets under way. Stay tuned...