Bundesliga
Leipzig into DFB Cup quarter-finals
Yussuf Poulsen scored twice as RB Leipzig made light work of Bundesliga 2 side Bochum in the DFB Cup last 16.
RB Leipzig 4-0 Bochum
Goals: 1-0 Haidara (10'), 2-0 Sabitzer (pen. 45'+1), 3-0 Poulsen (66'), 4-0 Poulsen (75')
Leipzig were effective if nothing else in a keenly contest first half. Up against Bochum’s intense press, the Bundesliga side forged ahead inside 10 minutes when Amadou Haidara stooped to head in Marcel Sabitzer’s clipped cross. There wasn’t a great deal more in the clear-cut chances department, though Willi Orban should have at least hit the target with a free header from a corner. Leipzig showed flashes of brilliance in the final third, with a last-gasp Bochum intervention thwarting Christopher Nkunku on one such occasion following a fine interchange involving Manchester City loanee Angelino and Poulsen. Daylight arrived on the stroke of half-time, when Sabitzer thrashed in a penalty after Patrick Drewes had upended Nkunku in the box.
Leipzig had the chance to extend their lead within moments of the restart, but substitute Hwang Hee-Chan could only find the side netting after being forced wide by Drewes in a promising one-on-one. Hwang made amends past the hour, however, as Leipzig added a third. The South Korean wrestled back possession from Herbert Bockhorn and fed fellow substitute Dani Olmo, who only had eyes for Poulsen. Leipzig's Great Dane made no mistake with his finish, slamming past Drewes from inside the area to bring up his third goal in as many DFB Cup games this season. Poulsen proceeded to head home an in-swinging Angelino free-kick as Leipzig joined the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg in the hat for the quarter-final draw.
Match stats
- Leipzig have not conceded in this season's DFB Cup.
- Poulsen is Leipzig's nine-goal leading scorer in all competitions this season.
- Sabitzer moved on to four goals and five assists for the campaign.
- Leipzig have reached the quarter-finals for the second time. In 2018/19, they went all the way to the final, which ended in a 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.
- Joscha Wosz, 18, made his third competitive appearance for Leipzig, and DFB Cup debut.
- Bochum haven’t got beyond the last 16 since 2015/16, when they lost 3-0 to Bayern in the quarter-finals
Line-ups
Leipzig: Gulacsi – Klostermann (Mukiele 64'), Orban, Halstenberg – Adams, Sabitzer (c) (Wosz 74'), Haidara, Angelino – Samardzic (Hwang 46'), Nkunku (Olmo 64') – Poulsen (Sorloth 75')
Unused subs: Tschauner, Martinez, Upamecano, Novoa
Out: Forsberg (knee), Henrichs (knee), Kampl (knee), Konate (ankle), Laimer (knee), Szoboszlai (groin)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Bochum: Drewes - Gamboa, Bella Kotchap, Decarli, Danilo Soares - Losilla (c), Masovic (Chibsah 46'), Pantovic (Zoller 61'), Eisfeld (Zulj 61'), Holtmann (Bockhorn 61') - Ganvoula (Novothny 87')
Unused subs: Grave, Weilandt, Hartwig, Leitsch
Out: Bonga (patella tendon), Lampropoulos (muscular), Riemann (suspended), Tesche (unconfirmed)
Coach: Thomas Reis
As it happened!
4 - 0(0 - 0)
Leipzig
FINAL
Bochum
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LEIPZIG REACH QUARTER-FINALS
Routine stuff for Leipzig in the end. They join the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg in the draw for the quarter-finals.
87'
vs
Soma Novothny
Silvere Ganvoula
83'
vs
SIDE NETTING!
Sorloth slips in Angelino, but his strike from a tight angle is into the side netting. Utterly professional stuff from Leipzig this second half - they've barely given Bochum a sniff.
86'
vs
Raman Chibsah
76'
vs
Alexander Sørloth
Yussuf Poulsen
74'
vs
Joscha Wosz
Marcel Sabitzer
75'
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POULSEN AT THE DOUBLE
Angelino's free-kick is on the money this time. It's a beauty of an in-swinger from the Leipzig right - Poulsen sees it all the way and powers home with his head.
70'
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OVER FROM ANGELINO
Leipzig win a free-kick right on the edge of the Bochum area. Sabitzer shapes to shoot, but leaves it for the left foot of Angelino - over!
66'
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THREEASY PEASY!
Surely the game in the bag! Hwang wins back possession and finds substitute Dani Olmo. He takes a look up and threads through for Yussuf Poulsen, who finishes with aplomb from inside the box.
64'
vs
Dani Olmo
Christopher Nkunku
64'
vs
Nordi Mukiele
Lukas Klostermann
63'
vs
Danilo Soares
62'
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Herbert Bockhorn
Gerrit Holtmann
62'
vs
Simon Zoller
Milos Pantovic
62'
vs
ZULJ ON
Can Bochum's joint-leading scorer get Bochum back in this? The Austrian midfielder has scored 10 times this season...
60'
vs
Robert Zulj
Thomas Eisfeld
60'
vs
Angeliño
56'
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LEIPZIG IN CONTROL
Leipzig have taken charge since the restart. They let Bochum have a lot of the ball in the first half, but are being far more active in the early stages of the second.
46'
vs
HWANG!
Almost a dream introduction for Hwang Hee-Chan. He's played in on goal with only Drewes to beat, but is pushed wide and can only find the side netting. The South Korea international hasn't scored for Leipzig since opening his account with a goal and assist against Nuremberg in the first round.
46'
vs
Raman Chibsah
Erhan Masovic
46'
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Hee-Chan Hwang
Lazar Samardžić
0 - 0
Kick-off!
0 - 0
Half-time
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SO FAR SO GOOD FOR LEIPZIG
Leipzig have been effective if nothing else. They lead Bochum 2-0, and have a huge foot in the door of the quarter-finals.
45' +1
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LEIPZIG EXTEND LEAD!
Sabitzer makes it two from the spot! Nkunku won the penalty after a quick burst into the box. Drewes sent him tumbling, and can have no complaints with the decision. He went the right way from the ensuing spot-kick, but Sabitzer's effort had just too much on it. Mountain to climb for Bochum.
45'
vs
Patrick Drewes
41'
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ELSEWHERE
Wolfsburg lead Schalke in the other early kick-off - Wout Weghorst the scorer from the penalty spot.
32'
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ONE-TOUCH STUFF
Brilliant from Leipzig, with Angelino instigating the move cutting off his favoured left-hand flank. The Spaniard brings Poulsen and Nkunku into play in the Bochum area, with the duo playing a neat one-two. But for a last-gasp intervention from a recovering Bochum defender, Nkunku would have had a free sight of goal. Gorgeous stuff.
30'
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BELLA-KOTCHAP STANDS FIRM
The speedy Nkunku tries to go on the outside of countryman Bella-Kotchap in the Bochum area, but the teenaged defender uses all his strength to knock the Leipzig forward off his stride - quite literally. He gave Robert Lewandowski a torrid time in last season's DFB Cup - no wonder he's so highly sought after.
23'
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BUILDING FROM THE BACK
Leipzig shift the ball really well following a throw-in in their own half. It's moved back to goalkeeper Gulacsi and shifted up towards Nkunku, via a number of red shirts. Haidara bursts forward to take possession and feed Poulsen, who spots Angelino arriving on the left-hand side of the area. It looks like he's going to shoot for a moment, but he opts for a clipped cross, which doesn't beat the first man.
16'
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PROBING
Silvere Ganvoula uses his sizeable frame to hold off a couple of Leipzig shirts out on the left-hand side. He works the space for a cross, but Orban is in the right place at the right time to put it behind before a blue shirt can pounce. The corner is well dealt with.
11'
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LEIPZIG LEAD!
Bochum clearly didn't heed that earlier warning as Marcel Sabitzer clips a lovely ball into the six-yard box from midway inside the visitors' half. Amadou Haidara runs unchallenged from deep to meet it with a clinical diving header - Leipzig lead 1-0!
9'
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FREE HEADER
Golden chance for Leipzig goes begging. Nkunku's corner is right on the head of Orban, who misjudges it completely and fails to land his attempt on target.
7'
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ANGELINO THREAT
Leipzig make in-roads into Bochum territory for the first time as Angelino lumps a long ball towards Poulsen. Armel Bella-Kotchap doesn't deal with it, and Bochum concede an unecessary free-kick which, luckily for them, comes to nothing.
4'
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BOLD
Bochum win a free-kick midway through the Leipzig half. It's launched long to the big men in the box, but the referee blows for a foul on a Leipzig player. Bold start from the visitors.
1'
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KICK-OFF!
Leipzig get us under way. The Bundesliga side are in their change strip of all red; Bochum are in powder blue.
vs
THE TEAMS ARE OUT
We're all set at the Red Bull Arena...
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REIS'S BOCHUM HAVE "NO FEAR"
Bochum fought back from 2-0 down to oust Mainz on penalties in the last 32. Head coach Thomas Reis, who recently penned a contract extension with the club, says his side won't be overawed by facing last season's DFB Cup runners-up. "We want to show our what we’re best at," he explained. "Bundesliga 2 is a league where mentality plays a massive role, whereas the Bundesliga is a league of quality. We have to win the tackles and spoil our opponent’s enjoyment of playing football. Leipzig have great quality. They're so agile. But we will have no fear and want to play in an effective way."
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QUARTER-FINALS AWAIT
Leipzig will see this season's DFB Cup as a huge opportunity to land a first major trophy. They lost the 2018/19 final to Bayern Munich, but fill fancy their chances of going one better after the holders went out to Kiel in the previous round. Bayer Leverkusen's name was also added to the cupset list following an extra-time loss to fourth-tier Essen yesterday. Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen and Kiel are already through, while Schalke host Wolfsburg, Cologe travel to Regensburg and VfB Stuttgart take on Gladbach today.
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MORE ON LEIPZIG
Dayot Upamecano is given a breather in the Leipzig defence as Julian Nagelsmann makes a handful of changes following the 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. Willi Orban starts, while Nordi Mukiele makes way for Marcel Halstenberg. Lazar Samardzic, 18, gets a run-out in attacking midfield, with Dani Olmo among the substitutes. Yussuf Poulsen is preferred to Alexander Sorloth in the lone striker's role.
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MORE ON BOCHUM
Second-placed Bundesliga 2 side Bochum show six changes from the team that lost at home to Karlsruher on Sunday. Goalkeeper Manuel Riemann is suspended, so in comes Patrick Drewes. Defender Maxim Leitsch also makes way, with Saulo Decarli making his first start of the season following injury. Robert Tesche misses out altogether, while top scorers Simon Zoller and Robert Zulj drop to the bench, as does Herbert Bockhorn. Messrs Masovic, Eisfeld, Pantovic and Ganvoula start.
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LEIPZIG XI
Gulacsi – Klostermann, Orban, Halstenberg – Adams, Sabitzer (c), Haidara, Angelino – Samardzic, Nkunku – Poulsen
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LEIPZIG SUBS
Tschauner, Martinez, Upamecano, Hwang, Sorloth, Mukiele, Olmo, Novoa, Wosz