Bundesliga
RB Leipzig claimed preliminary top spot on Matchday 3 after a comfortable 4-0 win at home to beleaguered Schalke, with Angelino, Willi Orban and Marcel Halstenberg on the scoresheet after a Can Bozdogan own goal.
RB Leipzig 4-0 Schalke
Goals: 1-0 Bozdogan (o.g. 31’), 2-0 Angelino (35’), 3-0 Orban (45’+2), 4-0 Halstenberg (pen, 80’)
Perhaps as expected, Leipzig dominated the proceedings from the go, with a wild Suat Serdar effort from some 25 yards the only effort from Schalke in the first half. Julian Nagelsmann’s side set about their business, with a good chance falling to left wing-back Angelino, but instead of shooting, the Manchester City loanee took a touch, allowing it to pop into the hands of Ralf Fährmann. Already on a club-record run of 18 games without a win, things took another painful twist for the Royal Blues when Serdar, plagued by injuries of late, took a knock in midfield and had to go with less than a quarter of the game played. The home side inflicted further misery on the half-hour mark when Emil Forsberg forced an own goal out of substitute Bozdogan before Angelino made amends to double the lead when heading home a Christopher Nkunku cross to the far post. Amadou Haidara had a great chance to make it three before the break after a slick passing move on the edge of the box, but he blasted over unchallenged. Willi Orban made no mistake, though, when he powered a header from Halstenberg’s cross past Fährmann on the stroke of half-time.
Picking up the ball from the back of the net was the last of the action for the Schalke goalkeeper, who was replaced at the break by new signing from Eintracht Frankfurt, Frederik Rönnow. The Royal Blues looked better and finally forced a save out of Peter Gulacsi through Bozdogan, but the game soon settled back into its original rhythm, with Leipzig very much on the front foot. Nordi Mukiele had a golden opportunity to add his name to the scoresheet when Angelino whipped a free-kick across the face of goal, but the wing-back was just inches away unmarked at the far post. Die Roten Bullen had peppered the Schalke goal, with 20 shots during the 90 minutes, before earning a penalty for handball against Matija Nastasic, which Halstenberg confidently converted to ensure Leipzig take top spot on Saturday evening for the first time since January. It also leaves Schalke rooted to the foot of the table, without a point and a -14 goal difference after three games.
Watch: Forsberg: "It was fun today!"
Leipzig: Gulacsi (c) – Orban, Upamecano (Klostermann 71’), Halstenberg – Mukiele, Haidara, Kampl (Henrichs 76’), Angelino (Wosz 82’) – Olmo (Smardzic 82’), Forsberg (Sörloth 71’) – Nkunku
Unused subs: Tschauner, Poulsen, Hwang
Out: Adams (back), Hartmann (knee), Konate (match fitness), Laimer (knee), Martinez (not included), Sabitzer (thigh)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Schalke: Fährmann (Rönnow 46’) – Sane, Stambouli, Nastasic – Schöpf, Serdar (Bozdogan 22’), Mascarell (c), Bentaleb, Oczipka – Uth, Paciencia (Ibisevic 46’)
Unused subs: Mendyl, Raman, Rudy, Kutucu, Boujellab, Skrzybski
Out: Harit (not included), Kabak (suspended)
Coach: Manuel Baum
Watch: Mascarell: "We know we'll go in a good direction"