RB Leipzig turns the game around against Freiburg and storms to the top of the table

After a disastrous half-time, RB Leipzig turned the game around and stormed to the top of the table. With the 3:1 (0:1) in the Bundesliga top match against SC Freiburg, the Saxons remain unbeaten after 18 games and have a three-point lead over FC Bayern for the time being. However, Munich can climb back to the top with a win at bottom club VfL Bochum on Sunday.

Ritsu Doan (15th minute) put the Breisgau side ahead in front of 45,918 spectators before Willi Orban (47th) equalized. Lutsharel Geertruida (58) turned the game around with his goal before Loïs Openda (79) added to his tally.

Schuster changes starting line-up

Following the absence of playmaker Xavi Simons, Leipzig coach Marco Rose brought on Christoph Baumgartner as announced, while Kevin Kampl was initially preferred to Arthur Vermeeren in defensive midfield. Freiburg coach Julian Schuster changed his starting line-up for the first time in four games, starting Max Rosenfelder and Nicolas Höfler instead of Matthias Ginter and Maximilian Eggestein after the 3-1 win in Augsburg.

Leipzig had the first big chance through Benjamin Henrichs (9'), but instead of going for goal himself, he passed inaccurately across goal. Just seconds later, Openda failed to hit the open goal after an SC slip-up. At the other end, Junior Adamu (11) had the chance to take the lead, but pushed the ball past the RB goal on the left. This gave the game a lot of momentum.

After a Grifo cross to the far post, Henrichs was unable to clear the ball and Doan (15) headed in to give the visitors the lead. It was RB keeper Peter Gulacsi's first goal in 510 minutes. Nevertheless, it was a club record, as the Hungarian international goalkeeper's old record under Ralf Rangnick from 2018 stood at 500 minutes without conceding a goal.

Whistling at the break

RB struggled after going behind, played too often at the back and lost possession too often in midfield, while Breisgau created good chances with courage and speed in transitional play. Only the finishing was lacking, as with Christian Günter's shot from 16 meters (31'). Benjamin Sesko (36-38) missed Leipzig's best chances to equalize when he failed to beat Noah Atubolo. Openda (40) and Baumgartner (43) also found their mark against the SC keeper, prompting a whistle at the break.

At the restart, new signing Maarten Vandevoort suddenly found himself in the RB goal as Gulacsi had to pull out with an injury. He had felt something in his knee, said RB sporting director Rouven Schröder on Sky. The second half got off to a great start for Leipzig, with captain Orban (47) tunneling the ball through Höfler's feet to equalize after a Henrichs cross. That gave them a boost. When Baumgartner made the game quick with a spin move and sent Openda upfield, he laid the ball across. The onrushing Geertruida (58) scored his first goal in an RB shirt to make it 2:1.

On the counter-attack, substitute André Silva sent Openda (79) through on goal, who brilliantly beat Rosenfelder and outpaced the onrushing Atubolu before slotting home from an acute angle to make it 3:1.