Dominik Szoboszlai double earns RB Leipzig crushing win over VfB Stuttgart
Dominik Szoboszlai got a stunning first Bundesliga goal for RB Leipzig and added another in the second half along with Emil Forsberg and Andre Silva as they thumped VfB Stuttgart 4-0 on Friday.
Leipzig 4-0 Stuttgart
Goals: 1-0 Szoboszlai (38'), 2-0 Forsberg (46'), 3-0 Szoboszlai (52'), 4-0 Silva (pen. 65')
The opening period was a fast-paced, frenetic one as Leipzig sought to makes amends for their defeat to Mainz last weekend. Forsberg had the first effort of the match inside five minutes, but his skidding shot was well kept out by Florian Müller. Roberto Massimo warmed the gloves of Peter Gulacsi at the opposite end moments later with a powerful drive from distance, but gradually the home side began to dominate. Willi Orban, Christopher Nkunku and Tyler Adams all went close before an acrobatic scissor-kick from Silva produced another good stop from Müller. Leipzig's pressure eventually took its toll when Szoboszlai was allowed to advance towards the right-hand corner of Stuttgart's box before arrowing a dipping effort past Müller and into the far corner.
Stuttgart sent on Daniel Didavi at half-time in an attempt to turn the game, but he was only on the pitch for 15 seconds by the time Forsberg had made it 2-0. The Swede linked up well with Nkunku before a beautiful flick from Silva sent him in on goal to slip the ball past Müller. Szoboszlai stung the palms of the Stuttgart keeper soon afterwards from a free-kick on the angle of the penalty area, but the Hungarian was not to be denied for long. From a similar position, albeit a little further back, his next free-kick from the left a minute later crept into the net. The fizzed effort looked like it was intended for a teammate, but when no one made contact the ball drifted across Müller's goal and into the far corner. Stuttgart seemed shellshocked and just when it looked like they had recovered, they conceded again. A shot struck the arm of Marc-Oliver Kempf in the area, allowing Silva to fire home his first Leipzig goal from the penalty spot. It capped an utterly dominant display from the home side, as Leipzig coach Jesse Marsch got the better of his fellow American Pellegrino Matarazzo.
Match stats
- Szoboszlai now has three goals this season after also netting in the 4-0 DFB Cup victory at second-tier Sandhausen.
- Silva - who got 28 Bundesliga goals for Eintracht Frankfurt last season - also scored on his home debut.
- Leipzig midfielder Adams and Stuttgart coach Matarazzo were born only 50 miles apart in Wappinger, New York and Wayne, New Jersey respectively.
- Marsch facing Matarazzo marks the first time two American coaches have taken on each other in a Bundesliga match.
- Leipzig have won six of the seven Bundesliga meetings with Stuttgart (D1), scoring 13 and conceding only one goal in the process.
- Stuttgart begin the weekend as Bundesliga leaders for the first time in 10 years. The last time they won their first two games of a season was in 1996 under former Germany boss Joachim Löw.
Watch: Szoboszlai: "I can't describe how I feel"
Line-ups
Leipzig: Gulacsi - Klostermann, Orban (Mukiele 76'), Simakan, Gvardiol - Adams, Haidara (Sabitzer 69') - Szoboszlai (Laimer 69'), Forsberg (c), Nkunku (Poulsen 82') - Silva (Hwang 69')
Unused subs: Martinez, Hwang, Brobbey, Raebiger, Kampl
Out: Angelino (muscular), Halstenberg (ankle), Henrichs (knee), Lookman (knee), Olmo (match fitness), Saracchi (knee), Sörloth (ill)
Coach: Jesse Marsch
Stuttgart: Müller - Mavropanos (Stenzel 84'), Anton, Kempf - Massimo, Klement (Millot 73'), Endo (c), Sosa - Förster (Thommy 81'), Klimowicz (Kalajdzic 73') - Al Ghaddioui (Didavi HT)
Unused subs: Bredlow, Mola, Ito
Out: Ahamada (ankle), Cisse (foot), Coulibaly (match fitness), Egloff (foot), Führich (collarbone), Karazor (thigh), Mangala (thigh), Nartey (not included), Sankoh (knee), Silas (unavailable)
Coach: Pellegrino Matarazzo
Watch: Forsberg: "Szoboszlai a fantastic talent"
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