Jonas Hector inspired Koln to a 2-1 victory over RB Leipzig as the Bundesliga title race seemingly comes to an end.
RB Leipzig’s hopes of a late push for the Bundesliga title came crashing down as they slump to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of 1.FC Koln. The loss helped Bayern Munich extend the gap at the top to ten points. As for Koln, it will be vital three points as they seek to get away from the automatic relegation places.
The Billy Goats deserved all three points as well, as they were indeed rock solid at the back. Friedheim Funkel’s men show impressive determination and composure, led by club captain and legend Jonas Hector, who scored the two second-half goals that kept Koln in the ascendancy, cancelling out Amadou Haidara’s stunning equaliser in the 56th minute.
Leipzig, in response, lacked creativity and ideas in their offensive game. They were also left frustrated with Koln’s dogged defensive game, which led to a heated affair during the final phase of the game.
While Die Roten Bullen mostly struggled to create too many scoring opportunities, they did miss two great chances late in the game, thus handing the opposition all three points. And here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Leipzig players in this disappointing defeat to Koln this midweek.
Peter Gulacsi: 6/10
Peter Gulacsi was left helpless in both the goals from Hector as he was not helped at all by some poor defensive support from his teammates. The Leipzig goalkeeper did not have to do much otherwise, with his team dominating most of the possession. He will still be disappointed to have conceded the two goals.
Nordi Mukiele: 6.5/10
Nordi Mukiele was mostly seen offering some forward movements with the ball, which led to a decent amount of progression in the build-up. He also tried to provide attacking support to his teammates, but had to be careful of the threat from Koln attackers.
Lukas Klostermann: 6/10
Lukas Klostermann had a poor game as he simply was not influential at all in the build-up. Operating at centre-back, the German struggled to offer those trademark runs forward and had no answers to both goals scored by Koln.
Super League is crumbling while second-bottom Cologne are beating second-placed RB Leipzig in the @Bundesliga_EN.
Culture.
— Alex Chaffer (@AlexChaffer) April 20, 2021
Dayot Upamecano: 6/10
It was not the best of performances from Dayot Upamecano. The defender lacked his usual, confident and robust flow, essentially allowing the opposition to come at their defence on multiple occasions. The Frenchman should have also done a better job in tracking Hector’s run for Koln’s first goal.
Marcel Halstenberg: 5/10
Marcel Halstenberg simply could not offer the desired defensive support to Upamecano. The left-back had problems influencing the game in a central defensive hybrid role and may have been culpable for the second half, as his loss of concentration allowed Koln to get behind the defence using a mere throw-in.
Tyler Adams: 5/10
Tyler Adams had a poor game in the middle of the park, where he was unable to keep check of the marauding Hector while Ellyes Shkiri was also allowed to thread certain forward balls. The midfielder has not been in great form at all, and Julian Nagelsmann needs to be much more responsible with his team selection in the next game.
Kevin Kampl: 6.5/10
Kevin Kampl was certainly a better performer than Adams in the holding midfield role. He tried to help Leipzig control the game and even threaded some useful forward passes. However, he got frustrated during the final phase of the game, in light of his team’s struggles and Koln’s defensive solidity.
Amadou Haidara: 7/10
Amadou Haidara was not really influential in the first half, but a superb strike from range saw him score the equaliser in the 56th minute. The midfielder continued to impress even after the second goal from Hector, making some good runs and providing useful passes into the final third.
Football is weird. RB equalise through a stunning goal from Amadou Haidara. Then 40 seconds after kicking off again, Jonas Hector scores a stunner of his own! 62’ 2-1 to Köln pic.twitter.com/jPgaOdI2km
— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) April 20, 2021
Christopher Nkunku: 6.5/10
Christopher Nkunku made an awful start to the game as he was unable to offer much creativity going forward. Played well after the restart, creating multiple opportunities and providing numerous key passes. Unfortunately for Leipzig, it was not enough to make any real difference to the scoreline.
Emil Forsberg: 5/10
Emil Forsberg struggled to make an impact for the second time in a row, offering nothing to Leipzig’s gameplay while operating in the number ten role alongside Nkunku. RB Leipzig fans will be dreading the return of new signing Dominik Szoboszlai to full fitness next season.
Alexander Sorloth: 6.5/10
Alexander Sorloth was finally handed the start after being surprisingly left out against Hoffenheim. The tall Norwegian may not have been involved in the game too much, but he offered the physical presence that was key in opening the opportunity for Haidara to have a shot on goal.
SUBSTITUTES
Dani Olmo: 6/10
Dani Olmo failed to make the desired impact after coming on for the ineffective Forsberg during the final half-hour of the game. He should have started the match ahead of the Swede, though.
Angelino: 6/10
Angelino failed to provide any real creativity in his game after replacing Adams in the 61st minute. Nagelsmann, though, definitely needs to fast-track him back into his setup by giving him a start in the next game.
Justin Kluivert: 5/10
The two late opportunities for Leipzig mentioned earlier all fell to Justin Kluivert, who simply could not show enough composure in front of goal.
Hee-chan Hwang: N/A
A late replacement for Mukiele. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
