Leipzig hold Bayern in 2023 opener

RB Leipzig 1-1 Bayern Munich
Goals: 0-1 Choupo-Moting 37' (assist: Gnabry), 1-1 Halstenberg 52' (assist: Szoboszlai)

Bayern tried to assert themselves early in the contest as Serge Gnabry met Jamal Musiala's cross with a shot against the upright. Leipzig responded through Emil Forsberg, who steered an effort straight at new Bayern goalkeeper Yann Sommer, before Dani Olmo curled a 20-yard strike comfortably wide. With a keenly contested encounter showing signs of opening up, VAR intervened to rule out Leon Goretzka's diving header for an earlier offside against Matthijs de Ligt. Dayot Upamecano then prevented Andre Silva from facing down Sommer, a decisive intervention that preceded the opening goal. Gnabry took possession on the left and aimed a back-post cross towards Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who squeezed a first-time finish beyond Janis Blaswich's despairing dive.

Leipzig head coach Marco Rose opted to stick rather than twist for the start of the second half, and his decision was fully vindicated in the 52nd minute. Not long after firing off a warning shot, Dominik Szoboszlai stooped to head Silva's clipped cross back across the six-yard box, whereupon defender Marcel Halstenberg reacted fastest to prod the ball past ex-Leipzig defender Upamecano on the goal-line. Leipzig tails up, Upamecano escaped with just a caution after upending Szoboszlai in a bid to prevent a clear run at goal. The returning Timo Werner entered the fray moments later, but clear-cut chances were at a premium in the closing stages. Werner shot over from inside the box with the best of them, with the gap between third and first staying at six points after 16 rounds of fixtures.

• Leipzig are now unbeaten in 14 competitive matches, but have only won one of 16 meetings with Bayern to date.
• Choupo-Moting scored his seventh Bundesliga goal of the campaign.
• Only two players have been older than Sommer (34 years, 34 days) when making their debuts for Bayern: fellow goalkeepers Hans-Jörg Butt (34 years, 318 days) and Toni Schumacher (37 years, 234 days).
• Halstenberg's goal was his first in the Bundesliga this term, but the seventh time a Leipzig defender has found the net in 2022/23.
• It was also Szoboszlai's eighth assist, putting him second in that particular chart behind Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani (nine).
• Former Leipzig defender Upamecano is the only Bayern player to have appeared in all 16 Bundesliga games of the season.

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Watch: Sommer: "A wild few weeks"

Leipzig: Blaswich - Simakan (Klostermann 83'), Orban (c), Gvardiol, Halstenberg (Raum 90'+1) - Laimer, Schlager - Szoboszlai, Olmo (Haidara 83'), Forsberg (Werner 67') - Silva
Unused subs: Nyland, Henrichs, Kampl, Diallo, Poulsen
Out: Gulacsi (knee), Nkunku (knee)
Coach: Marco Rose

Bayern: Sommer - Pavard, Upamecano, de Ligt, Davies - Kimmich (c), Goretzka - Sane, Musiala (Coman 68'), Gnabry (Müller 83') - Choupo-Moting (Tel 85')
Unused subs: Ulreich, Wanner, Sabitzer, Blind, Gravenberch, Stanisic
Out: Hernandez (knee), Mane (leg), Mazraoui (heart), Neuer (leg), Sarr (knee)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann

Watch: Szoboszlai: "Great game against a great opponent"