Bundesliga
RB Leipzig failed to add to their impressive Matchday 7 win against Sporting Lisbon, with Marco Rose's side ultimately losing out to Sturm Graz thanks to a solitary Arjan Malić goal.
Sturm Graz 1-0 RB Leipzig
Goals: 1-0 Malić 42’
Having rescued a point in a dramatic 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend, Leipzig were in Austria hoping to close out their Champions League campaign with three points and another morale-boosting display. The match started tentatively, with play frequently breaking down in the midfield. Christoph Baumgartner and Antonio Nusa were the standouts in a much-changed Leipzig XI in the first half. Nicolas Seiwald bombarded Graz with a flurry of corners and set-pieces, but none of them tested Kjell Scherpen in the Graz goal. The hosts grew into the game, seizing their biggest chance as Malić crept in at the back post to get on the end of a corner, breaking the deadlock from close range. Baumgartner and Lutsharel Geertruida combined minutes later as Leipzig looked to respond, but Scherpen saved Geertruida’s initial attempt, and his teammate sent the rebound over the bar.
The second half began much the same as the first ended; with Leipzig dominating possession but failing to make anything of it. Much of their play lacked its usual precision and sharpness, with the visitors opting to go long to Yussuf Poulsen all too frequently, to no avail. Things soon appeared to go from bad to worse for Leipzig, as William Bøving thought he had doubled the host’s advantage just after the hour mark. The attempt was disallowed by the VAR for a foul in the build-up, however. Rose made a flurry of changes inside five minutes to try and find a way back into the game, bringing on regular starters in David Raum, Xavi and Benjamin Šeško. Yet it was the Austrian side who played with bravery and attacking intent, creating chances at every opportunity. In the final ten minutes, Graz stood off their visitors, enduring prolonged spells of pressure, but their defence held. Beaten but unbowed, Die Roten Bullen will look to pick up in the Bundesliga when they face Union Berlin this weekend.
Teams
Graz: Scherpen - Malić, Geyrhofer, Wüthrich, Lavalée - Stanković (c) (Hierländer 86’) - Chukwuani, Kiteishvili, Yalcouyé – Bøving (Zvonarek 90’+4), Jatta (Camara 74’)
Unused subs: Bignetti, Khudyakov, Karić, Horvat, Schopp, Sorg, Grgić, Hödl, Aiwu
Out: Borković (cruciate tear), Johnston (muscular injury)
Coach: Jürgen Säumel
Leipzig: Vandevoordt – Seiwald (Raum 66’), Orbán (c), Bitshiabu (Lukeba 72’) – Geertruida (Klostermann 84’), Haidara, Vermeeren, Nusa – Baumgartner (Xavi 66’) – Openda, Poulsen (Šeško 66’)
Unused subs: Gulácsi, Koß, Gebel, Voufack
Out: Baku (ineligible), Henrichs (Achilles), Kampl (calf), Ouédraogo (groin), Schlager (ineligible), Silva (calf)
Coach: Marco Rose
As it happened!
Great running from Yalcouyé down the right gets Graz up the pitch. He cuts it back for Kiteishvili, who shoots first time, but his effort is over the bar.
Openda wins it down the left for the visitors. Xavi whips it in from the left, but it's straight into the hands of Scherpen.
The referee confirms there will be four added minutes at the end of this half.
Raum takes an out-swinger, but Graz captain Stanković heads clear unchallenged.
It comes in from the left, but it's massively overhit and goes behind for a goal-kick.
Graz's disallowed goal has not disheartened the hosts. Bøving drives down the left, before cutting in and shooting with his right, forcing a good save out of Vandevoordt.
Marco Rose makes a triple substitution. Can his changes turn things around for Leipzig?
Graz thought they'd doubled their advantage. A long ball up from the keeper is played to Jatta. He flicks it onto Bøving, who moves the ball onto his left and smashes home. After a lengthy VAR check, it's disallowed for a foul on Orbán by Jatta.
Seiwald plays a ball over the top for Openda again. The Belgian tries a volley, completely miscuing his attempt. His blushes are saved by the assistant raising his flag.
Seiwald plays a good ball into Openda, whose header eventually falls kindly for Baumgartner, but the Austrian smashes it well wide of the post from close range. The best two chances of the second half so far have fallen to him but Leipzig are yet to find a response.
A long ball finds Geertruida, who cuts it back into the box from the byline. His target: Baumgartner, who shoots first time, but Scherpen gets down well to make the stop.
The Graz man receives a yellow card for a challenge on Baumgartner.
Leipzig get the ball rolling again here in Austria. Both sides are unchanged.
Graz's goal has seemingly lifted the visitors. They have a quick counter-attack with Baumgartner playing it to his right and into the path of Geertruida. His effort is straight at Scherpen and Baumgartner hits the rebound over the bar.
The teenager gets his first Champions League goal on just his second start. A corner comes in from the right, it's flicked on at the near post towards the far, where Malić is waiting. He strikes the first attempt straight at Vandevoordt but he follows up the rebound to give Graz the lead.
The Leipzig man receives the first caution of the game for a late challenge on Chukwuani.
Now it's the host's turn from the corner flag. It's taken short, with Kiteishvili attempting a one-two, but the initial pass is overhit and goes behind for a goal-kick.
Openda wins a corner down the left. Seiwald, as ever, takes; swinging it in with his right, but the ball is headed away from the front post by Graz.
The Graz midfielder receives the ball on the edge of the Leipzig box, opting to shoot. His effort is on-target, forcing the first save of the evening out of Vandevoordt, but the Leipzig keeper was never troubled.
...and Orbán gets on the end of it, but he can't generate enough power to trouble Scherpen.
Openda wins a foul this time, just outside the Graz box. Baumgartner shoots, his effort deflecting off the wall and going behind for another corner.
Once again, Nusa beats his man and gets to the byline, where he lifts a cross into the box. Poulsen is the target, but he can't get a convincing contact on the ball.
Scherpen punches a Leipzig cross to the edge of the box, where Nusa pounces on the loose ball and lets a shot fly. The keeper gets up well to make the save, tipping it behind for a corner. Leipzig can't make anything of the set-piece, though.
Nusa draws a foul near the left flank in the middle of the Graz half. Seiwald whips it in towards the far post, where two Leipzig players are waiting, but neither can get anything on it.
This time it's an out-swinger from the other side. Orbán has a free header, but he can't steer it goalwards.
Baumgartner wins the first corner of the game down the left for Leipzig. Seiwald takes, swinging it in with his right. The keeper leaps to claim it, but it goes through his hands for another Leipzig corner.
Sturm Graz have a free-kick just inside Leipzig's half. Bøving takes, but it's well overhit, trickling behind for a goal-kick.
Poulsen brings a high ball down well, using his physicality. He threads it through for Baumgartner, who stretches to try and get a shot away, but the keeper is alert to the danger, coming off his line to smother the ball.
Bøving makes a tackle high up and the ball breaks for him to run in on goal. Seiwald is across to cover, though, snuffing out the danger.
It comes into the box from the left, near the byline. Stanković wins the first header, flicking it on, but no one is there to seize the second ball and Leipzig clear.
Geertruida whips a ball in towards the back post from the right. Poulsen is there, but he doesn't get a clean contact on it. The assistant had his flag raised, anyway.
Hosts Sturm Graz get the ball rolling here in Austria.
Both Seiwald and Baumgartner are in the starting XI for Leipzig tonight, meaning two Austrian internationals will face the champions of their home country.
Scherpen - Malić, Geyrhofer, Wüthrich, Lavalée - Stanković (c) - Chukwuani, Kiteishvili, Yalcouyé - Bøving, Jatta
Bignetti, Khudyakov, Zvonarek, Karić, Horvat, Hierländer, Schopp, Sorg, Camara, Grgić, Hödl, Aiwu
Vandevoordt - Seiwald, Orbán (c), Bitshiabu – Geertruida, Haidara, Vermeeren, Nusa – Baumgartner – Openda, Poulsen