RB Leipzig stunned Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, ending their impressive 35-game unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga with a thrilling 3-2 victory. The match showcased a dramatic turnaround, with Leverkusen dominating the early proceedings before Leipzig staged a comeback fueled by a brace from Lois Openda.
Leverkusen, under manager Xabi Alonso, looked set for another comfortable win as they raced into a two-goal lead. Jeremie Frimpong opened the scoring in the 38th minute, slotting the ball into the net from close range after receiving a long pass from Jonathan Tah. Alejandro Grimaldo doubled the lead just before halftime, scoring with his first touch after a clever corner routine.
However, Leipzig showed resilience and pulled a goal back through midfielder Kevin Kampl in the closing stages of the first half. Kampl headed home a precise cross with a diving header, injecting much-needed momentum into his team.
The second half saw the tide turn completely. Openda, the hero for Leipzig, equalized in the 57th minute, expertly controlling a long pass from Benjamin Sesko before firing past Leverkusen goalkeeper Matej Kovar. Just when it seemed the game might end in a draw, Openda struck again in the 80th minute, this time with a blistering shot from distance that gave Kovar no chance.
The game was briefly interrupted for a late penalty check for Leverkusen, but the referee, after consulting with VAR, decided that Castello Lukeba’s challenge on Patrik Schick did not warrant a spot-kick.
Leipzig’s victory snapped Leverkusen’s remarkable undefeated run, which stretched back 462 days to the last day of the 2022-23 season when VfL Bochum defeated them 3-0. The Leverkusen run was just one result short of matching Hamburg’s record of 36 games unbeaten in the 1982-83 season, and only second to Bayern Munich’s historic 53-game unbeaten run under Pep Guardiola from 2012 to 2014.
The victory propelled Leipzig to the top of the Bundesliga table with six points, while Leverkusen dropped to ninth place with three points. Leipzig’s win extended their unbeaten run to 13 games, dating back to February, highlighting their strong start to the season.
