Leipzig stage late comeback to beat Werder 2-1 and reclaim third place

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Dominik Szoboszlai slots home crucial goal for Leipzig in the final seconds

Dominik Szoboszlai taps home the go-ahead goal for RB Leipzig in the closing minutes of the match.

Updated: Oct 12, 2023, 06:18 am

RB Leipzig struck twice late in the game to snatch a 2-1 comeback win over visiting Werder Bremen on Sunday and reclaim third place in the Bundesliga with two matches remaining.

Willi Orban headed in an 87th-minute equaliser to cancel out Leonardo Bittencourt's 70th-minute opener before Christopher Nkunku delivered another assist in stoppage time for Dominik Szoboszlai to tap in the winner.

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Leipzig, who next week face Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, are third on 60 points, one ahead of Union Berlin in fourth, and four in front of fifth-placed Freiburg.

The top four teams qualify for the lucrative Champions League group stage next season.

The hosts had a string of chances in the first half and also hit the post through Szoboszlai before Werder gradually became bolder and went close with a chance of their own from Marvin Ducksch.

Leipzig top-scorer Nkunku thought he had settled the hosts' nerves when he tapped in a Timo Werner cutback in the 68th but his effort was eventually ruled out after a lengthy VAR review.

Instead it was Werder who broke the deadlock when unmarked Bittencourt rifled in at the far post to silence the fans.

Nkunku forced a superb one-handed save from Werder's Jiri Pavlenka in the 77th but the keeper was beaten when Nkunku crossed into the box and Orban rose high to power in his header.

The France international then cut into the box deep in stoppage time to set up Szoboszlai for the winner.