RB Leipzig snatch late win over Istanbul Basaksehir with Sorloth winner

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Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:12 am

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RB Leipzig squandered a two-goal lead before Alexander Sorloth's stoppage-time goal earned them a 4-3 victory at Istanbul Basaksehir in Champions League Group H on Wednesday and kept the German side in the running for a top-two finish.

Sorloth drilled in his shot after the Turks had fought back thanks to Irfan Kahveci's hat trick.

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First-half goals from Yussuf Poulsen and Nordi Mukiele gave Leipzig a two-goal lead and Dani Olmo made it 3-1, but the Turks twice cut the deficit and levelled when Kahveci completed his triple.

Leipzig, semifinalists last season, are on nine points, while Basaksehir are eliminated from the Champions League.

Leipzig deserved an early lead after forcing keeper Mert Gunok to make a couple of superb saves.

They needed a bit of luck to score, however, when Marcel Sabitzer shot from the edge of the box and his effort was deflected by Poulsen to wrongfoot the keeper.

Basaksehir made few chances and Leipzig scored again two minutes from halftime with Mukiele slotting in from an Emil Forsberg assist.

A stoppage-time strike from Kahveci gave the hosts hope going into the break and the midfielder added another in the 72nd after Olmo had made it 3-1.

Kahveci completed a memorable hat trick with a sumptuous left-footed free kick in the 85th minute before Sorloth's late winner.