RB Leipzig closer to Champions League place

Berlin: RB Leipzig may be one of the also-rans in an increasingly redundant title race, but Champions League football remains a status symbol for the Bundesliga’s youngest club.
Julian Nagelsmann has been tasked with achieving this as a minimum and, with star man Timo Werner seemingly on his way to Chelsea very soon, these final few games of the season are crucial for the Red Bull outfit.
It’s difficult not to think of this fixture as the ‘Nagelsmann derby’ given his legacy in this corner of Baden-Württemberg, but in truth Hoffenheim are no longer equipped to stand toe-to-toe with Leipzig as they did when Nagelsmann was here.
The dynamic, incisive style of football seen at Hoffenheim in previous seasons is now practised in East Germany, where Nagelsmann’s influence has had a huge impact – and this was seen early on as Leipzig pretty much won this game inside the opening 11 minutes.
But it wasn’t before some early drama. Hoffenheim were awarded a clear penalty after a foul by goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, but a lengthy look at the incident in the ‘Kölner Keller’ eventually ruled against Hoffenheim, with replays having shown the ball to have struck the back of Baumgartner’s hand shortly before.
It was a tough break for Hoffenheim, but it was a quick double whammy for the hosts, as Leipzig went down the other end and scored the opener a couple of minutes later. A lightning fast counter-attack by Leipzig, their first attack of the game, ended with Daniel Olmo prodding the ball to cap a move so characteristic of this Leipzig side.
Hoffenheim were undone again soon after when Olmo was again in the right place at the right time, the Spaniard scoring with an almost identical finish, this time after captain Marcel Sabitzer’s nod down.
Leipzig coasted to victory in the end to move to within a point of second placed Borussia Dortmund and deal a blow to Hoffenheim’s hopes of Europa League qualification. It was another away win in the Bundesliga, and one that kept Nagelsmann and Leipzig on course for a successful campaign.