Bundesliga
RB Leipzig took advantage of a Borussia Mönchengladbach penalty miss to put the Foals to the sword, with second-half goals from Timo Werner, Emil Forsberg and Josko Gvardiol keeping Die Roten Bullen in the Bundesliga title hunt.
Leipzig 3-0 Gladbach
Goals: 1-0 Werner 57', 2-0 Forsberg (pen.) 71', 3-0 Gvardiol 80' (assist: Poulsen)
Edging fourth place on goal difference prior to kick-off, Marco Rose’s men – deprived of the injured Christopher Nkunku here – were eager to put last weekend’s defeat to Borussia Dortmund behind them with mid-table Gladbach in town. The hosts had aims on climbing firmly back into the championship race, but it was the spirited Foals who galloped towards the game’s first big chance. After Marcus Thuram failed to beat Janis Blaswich when well placed, the France forward almost immediately lived to regret his miss with Werner going close at the other end. Leipzig’s failure to find their flow as the half progressed was summed up by a Willi Orban stumble that allowed Thuram another sight of goal. Borussia’s No. 10 this time wafted over the top, to the frustration of visiting coach Daniel Farke. Gladbach's tactician would later be relieved to see Forsberg head high following a clever pass into the air by David Raum.
Die Fohlen recently took the scalp of record Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, but that victory represented just one triumph in eight games. More points were needed to keep Gladbach’s season interesting and, shortly after Alassane Plea sent a header inches wide, the visiting team were presented with a golden chance collect all three. Racing onto a glorious Florian Neuhaus through pass, Jonas Hoffman looked certain to score, until the midfielder was upended by Raum. Plea’s subsequent spot-kick lacked the power to beat Blaswich, the goalkeeper holding on to spur a nightmarish end to the game for the Gladbach forward. Sparked into life, Leipzig hit the front. With his team trying to build from the back, Kouadio Kone was blocked by Benjamin Heinrichs. The ball broke to Werner, who walloped a shot high in off the underside of the crossbar for 1-0. It was to get worse for Borussia when Plea upended Amadou Haidara inside the area, allowing Forsberg to slot home his side’s second from the spot. Josko Gvardiol then nipped in to add a third from close range from Yussuf Poulsen's assist to complete Leipzig's celebrations.
Leipzig: Blaswich - Henrichs, Orban (c), Gvardiol, Raum (Halstenberg 77')- Szoboszlai, Laimer (Kampl 87'), Haidara (Simakan 87'), Forsberg (Olmo 87')- Silva, Werner (Poulsen 76')
Unused subs: Nyland, Klostermann
Out: Diallo (knee), Gulacsi (knee), Nkunku (thigh), Schlager (ankle)
Coach: Marco Rose
Gladbach: Sippel - Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Netz - Kramer (c), Kone (Fraulo 90+1') - Hofmann (Herrmann 90+1'), Neuhaus (Stindl 72'), Plea (Wolf 72') - Thuram (Telalovic 90+1')
Unused subs: Dimmer, Friedrich, Lainer, Ngoumou
Out: Bensebaini (suspended), Jantschke (meniscus), Olschowsky (virus), Omlin (thigh), Weigl (ankle)
Coach: Daniel Farke