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Sports

Debutants Leipzig up to third after win at Wolfsburg

October 16, 2016

Bundesliga debutants RB Leipzig continued their impressive early-season run with a 1-0 success at struggling Wolfsburg that lifted them to third. Mainz won 2-1 at home to Darmstadt and are seventh.

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Deutschland VfL Wolfsburg - RB Leipzig
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/S. Franklin

Matchday seven in the Bundesliga featured a record five failures from the penalty spot.

Leipzig’s Swedish forward Emil Forsberg was guilty of one of them but recovered to score a splendid goal that secured three points for the eastern German club.

Wolfsburg, who are 14th, started brightly and Germany international Julian Draxler stung Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi’s hands with a curling effort in the fourth minute.

Wolfsburg goalkeeper Koen Casteels conceded a spot kick in the 17th minute when he surrendered possession to Timo Werner before bringing him down on the edge of the area.

It was the 10th penalty awarded on matchday seven, the most since the fourth matchday of the 1986/87 campaign and two short of the record of 12 on matchday 12 in 1971/72.

Forsberg stepped up but fired his effort well wide of the post.

The only goal came 19 minutes from time when Forsberg was given far too much space and he bent a superb shot into the far corner past Casteels, the first goal Leipzig have scored from outside the box this term.

Piercing whistles

A toothless Wolfsburg couldn’t find an equalizer, with new signing Mario Gomez again drawing a blank, and Leipzig substitute Oliver Burke should have made it 2-0 in added time.

The Scot was clean through but Casteels got down well to block his tame effort before the final whistle was greeted with piercing whistles from the home support, venting their frustration with coach Dieter Hecking and his team.

Deutschland VfL Wolfsburg - RB Leipzig
Hecking under pressure after latest Wolfsburg setbackImage: Getty Images/Bongarts/S. Franklin

Mainz 2-1 Darmstadt

(De Blasis 6’, Malli 56’ pen – Gondorf 90+2’ pen)

Mainz climbed to seventh in a match featuring three penalties and a catalogue of wasted chances.

Pablo De Blasis put the home side ahead with a close-range finish on six minutes before Darmstadt midfielder Laszlo Kleinheisler volleyed against the bar and Mainz forward Jhon Cordoba sliced a shot into the side netting with the goal gaping.

Jonas Lössl saved Antonio Colak’s penalty shortly before the break and Mainz doubled their lead 11 minutes into the second half when Yunus Malli won and converted a penalty.

Colak wasted a couple of chances for the visitors, who are 15th, before Niko Bungert handled in the area and allowed Jerome Gondorf to net an added-time consolation goal from the spot.