Bundesliga
Rangers vs. Leipzig: LIVE!
RB Leipzig lost 3-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate in their UEFA Europa League semi-final with Glasgow Rangers.
As it happened!
Rangers: McGregor - Tavernier (c), Goldson, Bassey, Barisic - Jack, Lundstram - Kamara, Aribo, Kent - Wright
Leipzig: Gulacsi (c) - Klostermann, Orban, Gvardiol - Henrichs, Laimer, Kampl, Angelino - Olmo, Nkunku - Poul
3 - 1(2 - 0)
Rangers
SECOND HALF
Leipzig
90' +3
vs
IT'S OVER
Henrichs has a shot blocked, and the whistle sounds. Leipzig's European adventure is over. They'll have to recover fourth place in the Bundesliga if they're to play Champions League football next season, before turning their attentions to the DFB Cup final.
90' +3
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GULACSI GOES UP FOR A CORNER
Last chance saloon...
90'
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TIME ADDED ON
Into the first of three additional minutes at Ibrox. Do Leipzig have another goal in them to force extra time?
87'
vs
CHANCE!
Szoboszlai with the corner. Gvardiol meets it, but doesn't find the target.
82'
vs
LIKE-FOR-LIKE SWITCH
Fresh legs on the left and up top for Leipzig. Can they get another goal?
82'
vs
André Silva
Angeliño
81'
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Marcel Halstenberg
Yussuf Poulsen
81'
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RANGERS BACK IN CHARGE
Leipzig don't deal with Kent's deflected cross, and there's Lundstram to fire through the ruck of bodies to restore Rangers' lead. Leipzig need to score again, just to force extra time...
71'
vs
LEIPZIG LEVEL THE TIE!
What a time for Leipzig to score! Moments after playing Laimer through for an effort McGregor was out quickly to to block, Nkunku connects with a fabulous Angelino cross on the volley. Leipzig trail on the night, but pull it back to 2-2 on aggregate!
61'
vs
SZOBO ON
The Bundesliga's Rookie of the Month for April has been in fine form of late - can he relight Leipzig's fire at Ibrox?
61'
vs
Dominik Szoboszlai
Dani Olmo
58'
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Scott Arfield
Scott Weright
58'
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Leon Balogun
Ryan Jack
54'
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LEIPZIG NEED A SPARK
It's 50-50 for possession and 74 percent each for passes completed. Leipzig's problem is they simply aren't doing enough in the final third when on the ball. They've played more games than any team in the Bundesliga this season and, you have to admit, it's beginning to show. Fortunately for Tedesco, he has arguably the deepest squad in Geman football at his disposal...
52'
vs
CHANCE!
Rangers win a free-kick that's blocked behind for a corner. Tavernier then finds Sakala, who heads off target. Leipzig caught nappy - and nearly punished.
52'
vs
Kevin Kampl
46'
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PLAN B
Tedesco sends out the same team that ended the first half, but he does have Szoboszlai, Forsberg and Silva to call on if needed...
0 - 0
Kick-off!
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LEIPZIG TRAIL
Leipzig are behind in the tie for the first time at the halfway stage of the second leg. They need to score at least once to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive. What has Tedesco got up his sleeve?
0 - 0
Half-time
45' +2
vs
INJURY
Aribo can't continue after blocking an Angelino free-kick with his head. We all know how much punch that left foot packs. Sakala, who was expected to start, is on.
45' +2
vs
Fashion Sakala
Joe Aribo
44'
vs
YELLOW PERIL
Three of Rangers' back four are now on bookings. Just a sign that Leipzig are troubling the home side when they do venture forward.
44'
vs
Borna Barisic
41'
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NKUNKU WATCH
Leipzig haven't been able to get Nkunku into the game just yet, but that surely won't last. Worryingly for Rangers, their two centre-backs have already been booked...
38'
vs
ORBAN!
Leipzig's long-serving defender with another opening from a set-piece, but he can't direct Angelino's free-kick on target.
26'
vs
Calvin Bassey
29'
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LUCKY!
Tavernier knocks a corner down into the path of Aribo, who completely miscues with the goal there for the taking. Huge let-off for Leipzig, and hopefully a massive wake-up call!
31'
vs
Connor Goldson
23'
vs
MEANWHILE...
Rafael Santos Borre has extended Frankfurt's aggregate lead over West Ham to 3-1. The Hammers are also down to 10 men...
29'
vs
OL-NO!
A loose ball breaks for Olmo on the edge of the area, but the Spain international can't keep his shot down.
24'
vs
LEIPZIG BEHIND!
This was not in the script. A Leipzig attack breaks down, allowing Rangers to break. Wright lays a ball off to Kamara, who sweeps in from 20 yards to give Rangers a 2-1 aggregate lead. Suddenly, Leipzig NEED a goal...
19'
vs
RANGERS STRIKE FIRST
Leipzig are pegged back on aggregate. Ex-Freiburg man Ryan Kent gets in behind Henrichs and crosses towards the back post, where James Tavernier applies the finishing touch.
15'
vs
DENIED!
Laimer drives into opposition territory before crossing into the box for Poulsen. He winds up from 15 yards, but Jack comes in to make a vital block.
14'
vs
LEIPZIG GROWING INTO THE GAME
Leipzig are now at over 40 percent possession after that bold Rangers start. The inclusion of Poulsen looks like a smart move from Tedesco. His forward runs are creating space not afforded to Nkunku and Olmo last time out.
10'
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OPENINGS
Gulacsci makes a routine save from Jack's deflected 20-yard strike. Leipzig go up the other end and win a corner as Nkunku's effort is deflected behind. Orban's first to the cross, but heads off target.
5'
vs
QUICK TRANSITION
And there's that attacking verve as Leipzig attempt to turn defence into attack. Nkunku goes through the gears, but Laimer's pass doesn't find him. He might have been through there...
3'
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STANDING FIRM
Leipzig with some defending to do in the early exchanges, but there's no way they're here to park the bus as Rangers did in the first leg. They've got far too much attacking quality for that - and it's just not Tedesco's way.
1'
vs
AWAY WE GO!
The ball's rolling in this Europa League semi-final second leg, following an impecabbly observed minute's silence in memory of legendary Rangers kitman Jimmy Bell, who died in the week at the age of 69.
0 - 0
Kick-off!
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TEAMS OUT
Some atmosphere in Ibrox as the teams take to the field - not that it'll unsettle the Leipzig players. They play in the Bundesliga, after all.
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OMENS
Rangers are winless in their last three European home ties against German opposition (D1, L2), while Leipzig have won their previous three continental fixtures on the road.
266s
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WATCH: LEIPZIG'S TOP 10 BUNDESLIGA GOALS THIS SEASON
And you thought Angelino's first-leg rocket was special...
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ALL-GERMAN FINAL ON THE CARDS
If Leipzig win, they could face Frankfurt in the final in Seville on 18 May. The Eagles won 2-1 away to West Ham last week, and are bidding to reach their first European final since beating Gladbach over two legs in the 1979/80 UEFA Cup showpiece. An all-German Europa League final would be a tournament first.
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TEDESCO TARGETS MORE GOALS
"We're leading 1-0 in the tie, but I'm expecting us to need more goals. Rangers will apply pressure and make life difficult for us. So goals are always nice to have. We played well during the first left, despite Rangers defending deep in their own half. It's usually a different story away from home, and Rangers will allow us more space. If we have the space, then we are capable of posing a huge threat."
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LEIPZIG: A GROWING EUROPEAN FORCE
Since dropping out of the Champions League, Leipzig have accounted for Real Sociedad (5-3 on agg.) and Atalanta (3-1 on agg.). They were due to face Spartak Moscow in the last 16, before Russian clubs were expelled from UEFA competition. Die Roten Bullen are playing in their second UEFA semi-final after reaching the Champions League last four in 2019/20.
Latest
Leipzig are already into one final this season, facing Freiburg in Berlin for the DFB Cup on 21 May. They are now just 90 minutes away from a second possible showpiece and the chance to lift the Europa League trophy only three days prior in Seville. Die Roten Bullen will be off to Spain if they avoid defeat in Glasgow, after Angelino’s late strike gave them a 1-0 first-leg lead in this semi-final tie. It could have been even better for the Bundesliga side, had top scorer Nkunku not squandered another opportunity. The clean sheet was even more impressive given two of the first-choice back three – and Kevin Kampl – were suspended. He and Willi Orban start, but Lukas Klostermann retains his place ahead of the returning Mohamed Simakan. Danish battering ram Yussuf Poulsen leads the attack, meanwhile, with Portugal international Andre Silva and the Bundesliga's April Rookie of the Month Dominik Szoboszlai among the substitutes.
While this is Leipzig’s second European semi-final in their 12-year existence, Rangers last made it to a continental final a year and five days before their opponents were even formed. They too have had to climb the divisions in that time, but the reigning Scottish champions’ grip on their domestic title loosened further on Sunday with a 1-1 draw at arch-rivals and league leaders Celtic. Former Freiburg man Ryan Kent set up Fashion Sakala for the second-half equaliser. Kent started in attack with Scott Wright and Joe Aribo at the Red Bull Arena in the first leg, with top scorers Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe both injured. Coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst is without the latter once more, but Ramsey makes the bench. The Juventus loanee hasn’t featured since the quarter-final second leg win over Braga.
Watch: How many Nkunku goals feature in Leipzig's top 10 this season?
Match stats
- Nkunku has registered 31 goals and 20 assists in 48 competitive games so far in 2021/22.
- Sixteen different outfield players have scored for Leipzig in all competitions so far this season, with Silva (14 goals) second to Nkunku in the club charts.
- Leipzig have scored in all of their European games this season, hitting 24 goals in 11.
- Die Roten Bullen have won their last three away games in Europe, beating Atalanta (2-0), Real Sociedad (3-1) and Club Brugge (5-0).
- Rangers are winless in their last three European home ties against German opposition (D1, L2).
- Kent made six Bundesliga appearances for Freiburg in 2017/18. Leon Balogun racked up 75 top-flight games in the colours of Hannover, Werder Bremen, Fortuna Düsseldorf and Mainz.
CONFIRMED line-ups
Rangers: McGregor - Tavernier (c), Goldson, Bassey, Barisic - Jack, Lundstram - Kamara, Aribo, Kent - Wright
Subs: McCrorie, McLaughlin, Diallo, S. Davis, Ramsey, Sands, Balogun, Sakala, Arfield, King, Lowry
Out: Hagi (knee), Helander (foot), Morelos (thigh), Ofoborh (heart), Roofe (knee)
Coach: Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Leipzig: Gulacsi (c) - Klostermann, Orban, Gvardiol - Henrichs, Laimer, Kampl, Angelino - Olmo, Nkunku - Poulsen
Subs: Tschauner, Martinez, Simakan, Forsberg, Adams, Szoboszlai, Mukiele, Halstenberg, Silva, Raebiger, Novoa
Out: Haidara (knee)
Coach: Domenico Tedesco