Amine Harit and Schalke hand RB Leipzig first defeat of the season
A goal and assist from Amine Harit - as well as Rabbi Matondo's first Bundesliga goal - helped Schalke to a convincing 3-1 win at RB Leipzig, who suffered their first defeat of the campaign.
RB Leipzig 1-3 Schalke
Goals: 0-1 Sane (29’), 0-2 Harit (pen. 43’), 0-3 Matondo (58'), 1-3 Forsberg (83')
Such an outcome did not initially appear to be on the cards following a strong Leipzig start, with Marcel Sabitzer hitting the crossbar just a minute in before Schalke captain Alexander Nübel produced an incredible double save, first to deny Emil Forsberg and then Sabitzer on the rebound. However, those were to be the hosts' only two efforts on goal in the first half of a game that quickly turned in the visitors' favour. Salif Sane was in the right place to nod home from a Bastian Oczipka just before the half-hour mark, by which time David Wagner's side were expertly breaking up every Leipzig attack. Their boldness was rewarded shortly before the interval when Harit was brought down by Amadou Haidara in the home side’s box, and the Moroccan playmaker stepped up himself to smash Schalke into a two-goal lead.
The second half began as the first had ended with Schalke in the ascendancy. Leipzig remained in control of possession but the Royal Blues always looked threatening on the counter, which is how their third goal arose. A loss of the ball from Nordi Mukiele sent Schalke away, and when Harit played Matondo in behind the Welshman slotted past Peter Gulacsi to score his maiden Bundesliga goal. Weston McKennie could have subsequently made it four, but his header from close range went over the bar. Forsberg gave Leipzig hope late on when his long-range effort slipped through the hands of Nübel and into the Schalke net, but the Royal Blues were able to hold on and record a memorable victory.
Match stats
- Schalke now sit level on 13 points with Leipzig in the table.
- Matondo scored his first Bundesliga goal for Schalke in his eighth appearance in the league. It was his first appearance of the 2019/20 season.
- The Royal Blues became the first team to beat Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena in nine Bundesliga games.
- Leipzig suffered their first defeat of the season.
- Schalke have won four Bundesliga matches in a row for the first time since February-March 2018, when they put together a run of six straight victories.
- Harit has notched four goals and two assists in his last three outings for Schalke.
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Line-ups
Leipzig: Gulacsi - Mukiele (Nkunku 74'), Upamecano, Orban (c) - Sabitzer, Haidara, Demme (Lookman 59'), Forsberg, Halstenberg - Poulsen (Cunha 65'), Werner
Unused subs: Mvogo, Sarrachi, Konate, Ilsanker, Klostermann, Ampadu
Out: Adams (groin), Kampl (ankle), Laimer (suspended), Schick (match fitness), Wolf (ankle)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Schalke: Nübel (c) - Kenny, Stambouli, Sane, Oczipka - Mascarell (Kabak 82') – McKennie, Harit (Caligiuri 69'), Serdar – Matondo (Schöpf 85'), Burgstaller
Unused subs: Schubert, Miranda, Nastasic, Uth, Raman, Kutucu
Out: Bentaleb (groin)
Coach: David Wagner
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