RB Leipzig back on form in German capital with slim victory over Hertha
Perhaps inspired by their 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal - a result that ended a run of three defeats on the trot, RB Leipzig went in guns blazing, with Timo Werner and Emil Forsberg both spurning early chances to unsettle Die Alte Dame.
Hertha were given virtually no time to breathe, but a timely break after a good 15 minutes seemed to gradually galvanise the hosts into stamping their mark.
They managed to pacify the visitors for large periods, but eventually gave way following a set-piece mishap, permitting Die Roten Bullen to score their first Bundesliga goal in over four hours of game time.
The contentious goal by Amadou Haidara was allowed to stand by Deniz Aytekin following a brief VAR check, after the Mali international had capitalised on poor goalkeeping from Oliver Christensen, making it 1-0 to the visitors before the break.
Hertha’s inability to muster a single shot on target as the hour mark approached undoubtedly worried Sandro Schwarz, who watched on as Leipzig toyed around in midfield, prompting him to introduce fresh faces in a bid to unlock the Red Bulls backline.
However, that didn’t bother the visitors in the least, as they comfortably thwarted Hertha advances, triggering the Olympiastadion to voice their displeasure.
Despite coming close minutes before the final whistle via Suat Serdar, Die Alte Dame ultimately succumbed to a first defeat at home in four games and remain firmly entrenched in the battle for Bundesliga survival.
In stark contrast, Leipzig got back to winning ways with a first victory in three outings, and march into the top-four after Freiburg tasted defeat to league leaders Bayern Munich earlier in the day.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Dominik Szoboszlai (RB Leipzig)
