New worries about the unlucky Olmo
RB Leipzig rolls mercilessly over Cologne
October 28, 2023, 8:25 p.m
The first win of the season in the Bundesliga was followed by bitter disappointment for 1. FC Cologne. At RB Leipzig, the team lost control shortly before half-time and conceded one goal after another. RB’s victory is marred by a bitter injury.
RB Leipzig dealt the reeling 1. FC Köln the next severe blow in the neck with an offensive fireworks display. The DFB Cup winners overran coach Steffen Baumgart’s team and stormed back to a Champions League position with a 6-0 (4-0) victory, at least overnight. Meanwhile, the Rhinelanders plunged deeper into the crisis.
Starting eleven returnees Timo Werner (15th, penalty kick), Lois Openda (40th/45th + 3), David Raum, whose header the Cologne keeper Marvin Schwäbe unfortunately directed into his own goal (43rd), Benjamin Sesko (88th) and Christoph Baumgartner (90.+1) gave RB fourth place for the time being and at the same time caused Cologne’s seventh defeat of the season. Substitute Mathias Olesen also saw yellow-red for the guests (80th, repeated foul play). Bitter for RB: Dani Olmo, who only returned last week after a long injury break, had to leave the field just a few minutes after being substituted on (63′). After Luca Kilian brought the Spaniard down, he grabbed his left shoulder with a grimace of pain.
Things are getting more and more difficult for Cologne in terms of sport. With only four points in 17th place, FC is currently deep in the danger zone. The Rhinelanders had new hope after the derby win against Borussia Mönchengladbach (3:1). RB coach Rose emphasized before the game that his team had to be “wide awake”: “There will be a lot of back and forth.” For the first time in two months, Werner had the chance to prove himself in the starting eleven. The striker last started on the first matchday at Bayer Leverkusen (2:3).
Meanwhile, Baumgart sent the same team onto the pitch as against Gladbach. The 51-year-old had prepared himself and his team for the fact that it would be “not easy” to “have one or two scoring opportunities” in Leipzig. The first opportunities in the Red Bull Arena in front of 46,418 spectators also belonged to the hosts, who controlled the game from the start. However, Schwäbe parried the shots from Openda (3rd) and Xavi Simons (6th). Leipzig let the ball run through their own ranks and Eric Martel ended up clumsily bringing down Amadou Haidara in the penalty area. Werner safely converted the subsequent penalty kick.
RB continued to push, but initially failed due to the Cologne defense and Swabia. A little later things got hectic in front of the Leipzig goal. But Luca Waldschmidt first hit the post, then teammate Davie Selke (34th), and there was also an offside position. And then the RB offensive ignited: in quick succession, the ball hit the Cologne goal three times. Raum hit the post first, but the ball bounced off Schwäbe and over the line. RB continued to run after the break, and Schwäbe initially prevented anything worse from happening against Werner. On the Leipzig side, Olmo caused a moment of shock, while Fabio Carvalho came on for the offensive player. Werner also had to go out injured.