RB Leipzig boosted their Bundesliga top-four finish ambitions for another year of Champions League football with a 2-1 comeback victory in stoppage time over Werder Bremen on Sunday.
Captain Willi Orban headed an 87th minute equalizer off Christopher Nkunku's chipped cross, and Nkunku's extraordinary solo then set up Dominik Szoboszlai for the winner six minutes into stoppage time.
Leipzig thought they had taken a 66th-minute lead from Nkunku but it was ruled via video review that Leipzig's Mohamed Simakan had pushed Leonardo Bittencourt in the build-up.
And three minutes later Bittencourt volleyed Bremen ahead into the top left corner after the visitors had become more adventurous in the second half.
"We fought hard and deserved to win," Szoboszlai told streaming portal DAZN. "We showed a lot of mentality, I am really proud of the team."
The late win sees Leipzig enter the final two games in third place, one point ahead of Union Berlin, and, more important, four clear of Freiburg in fifth ahead if their next game at champions and leaders Bayern Munich who are in a title race with Borussia Dortmund.
"We go to Munich with the aim to get three points," Szoboszlai insisted.
Bremen in 12th are five points above the danger zone and unlikely to be in trouble in the remaining fortnight.
The day's other game between ailing VfB Stuttgart and European hopefuls Bayer Leverkusen ended 1-1, an outcome that "wasn't the desired result for either side," according to Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeneß.
Serhou Guirassy chipped in a Panenka style penalty for Stuttgart in the 57th minute after Exequiel Palacios had brought down Wataru Endo.
Palacios made amends at the other end in the 70th after goalkeeper Fabian Bredlow had run into Edmond Tapsoba, calmly converting the ensuing spot kick for the Europa League semi-finalists Leverkusen into the bottom right corner.
Stuttgart are second-last, one point behind Schalke in the relegation play-off spot, and two behind Bochum in safe 15th.
Leverkusen's seventh place was also unchanged as they trail Wolfsburg on goal difference. Seventh will only be good enough to earn a European berth if Leipzig win the German Cup final against Eintracht Frankfurt but Leverkusen can also qualify for the continent if they win the Europa League, where they trail Roma 1-0 into their semi-final return leg.
- Leipzig
- Bremen
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
