Christopher Nkunku scored twice as RB Leipzig advanced to the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League semi-finals with victory over Atalanta.

Atalanta 0-2 RB Leipzig (Leipzig win 3-1 on agg.)
Goals: 0-1 Nkunku 18’ (assist: Laimer), 0-2 Nkunku (pen. 87’)

With the away-goals rules a thing of the past and the game all to play for following a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Leipzig were indebted to Peter Gulacsi for denying Davide Zappacosta’s early drive. Benjamin Henrichs tested Juan Musto as Leipzig returned fire, before Gulacsci thwarted Ruslan Malinovskyi. It proved a key intervention. Sixty seconds later, Konrad Laimer scythed through the Atalanta defence and found the feet of Nkunku, who was never going to miss from inside the box. Angelino and Laimer went close to adding a second towards the end of a frenetic first half.

Leipzig spurned another presentable opening soon after the restart. Musso could only parry Silva’s shot to Laimer, but recovered in the nick of time to turn the follow-up effort behind. Hans Hateboer miscued a close-range header on one of the rare occasions Atalanta did threaten an equaliser. Zapata then fluffed a headed attempt of his own, but not before Musso had been called on to keep out a fierce Nkunku shot from a tight angle. After being brought down by Musso, Nkunku sealed the deal with a late penalty to set up a last-four meeting with Glasgow Rangers.

Match stats

• Nkunku has scored or assisted in all but one of Leipzig’s 10 away fixtures in 2022.
• Sixteen different outfield players have scored for Leipzig in all competitions so far this season, with Silva (14 goals) second to Nkunku (30 goals) in the club charts.
• Tedesco’s Leipzig have lost just one of 17 competitive matches since the turn of the year, winning 12.
• Leipzig have scored in all of their European games this season, hitting 23 in 10.
• Leipzig are through to the semi-final stage of a UEFA competition for the second time since gaining promotion to the Bundesliga in 2016. They made it through to the Champions League last four in 2019/20.
• Leipzig could meet Bundesliga rivals Eintracht Frankfurt in the final.

Line-ups

Atalanta: Musso - De Roon, Demiral (Scalvini 70'), Palomino - Hateboer, Koopmeiners, Freuler (c) (Pasalic 88'), Zappacosta - Malinovskyi (Muriel 58'), Boga (Miranchuk 70') – Zapata
Unused subs: Rossi, Sportiello, Pezzella, Djimsiti, Mihaila, Pessina, Cittadini
Out: Cabezas (knee), Ilicic (depression)
Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini

Leipzig: Gulacsi (c) - Simakan, Orban, Gvardiol (Poulsen 79') - Henrichs (Klostermann 73'), Laimer (Adams 73'), Kampl (Halstenberg 79'), Angelino - Olmo - Silva (Szoboszlai 63'), Nkunku
Unused subs: Tschauner, Martinez, Forsberg, Mukiele, Raebiger, Novoa
Out: Haidara (knee)
Coach: Domenico Tedesco

As it happened!

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