RB Leipzig are still on the up in the Bundesliga. The Saxons won clearly against Fürth in the end. For one half, the bottom team had better prospects of victory, but the substitutions for the hosts paid off.
The game started differently than many expected. Right from the start, the cloverleaf from Fürth acted courageously, and after six minutes the Central Franconians, who had changed three positions after the 0:1 in the basement duel against fellow promoted Bochum (Leweling, Christiansen and Bauer started in place of Sarpei, Tillman and the yellow-suspended Seguin), had the first good chance: Dudziak headed clearly over the crossbar from close range.
Hrgota puts Fürth in the lead – Leipzig not in the game
The home side from Leipzig, who made four changes compared to the 2:3 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League (Gvardiol, starting debutant Henrichs, Kampl and Forsberg came in for Simakan, Adams Laimer and Klostermann), did not find their way into the game. Again and again, RB failed to pass the ball, not once did the Saxons test the opponent’s keeper Funk in the first half. His goalkeeper colleague Gulacsi had all the more work to do, and in minute 23 the Hungarian was even beaten for the first time – but the supposed 1:0 for Fürth did not count due to a foul by Itten.
Fürth kept the pressure on, which paid off: Shortly before the end of the first half, Dudziak failed again (this time due to a save by Gulacsis), but in minute 43, the cloverleaf was rightly awarded a penalty after a foul by Mukiele. Captain Hrgota then kept his cool from the spot to give the league leaders a deserved lead at the break (45th).
Poulsen needs less than a minute – Forsberg gives himself a present
The match then changed completely after the restart. Poulsen, who was substituted by coach Marsch alongside Simakan, immediately pushed forward – and after less than a minute, the Danish joker equalised with his first contact with the ball (46th), which would remain even after the VAR review. Fürth were visibly shocked by this, Meyerhöfer laid Poulsen in the penalty area a few minutes later (52.). Forsberg was thankful for that, who placed the penalty perfectly on his 30th birthday and made it 2:1 (53.).
From then on, RB had the game under control and dominated at will. Above all, Leipzig’s intermittent efficiency and Marsch’s golden touch made the difference: Szoboszlai scored after a one-touch combination worth seeing immediately after his arrival to make it 3:1 (65.).
Szoboszlai also collects two scorer points
Fürth remained inconspicuous until the end, Leipzig had further chances through Poulsen (58.) and Nkunku (79., 82.) to make it 4:1, which was finally provided by the young Spaniard Novoa with his first Bundesliga goal (88.) – and thus another wild card of RB.
Leipzig’s next DFB Cup match is at SV Babelsberg on Tuesday (6.30pm) – of all places, the opponent against whom Fürth surprisingly failed in the first round. The cloverleaf, which has set a new club negative record after its seventh defeat in a row, is then not on the ball again until next Saturday (3.30 p.m.) in Freiburg.
