Leipzig Dominates Stuttgart with Simons’ First Bundesliga Goal

Simons, who recently joined Leipzig on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in July, sealed the deal with his team’s fifth goal, making a significant impact as a second-half substitute.

His composed finish added the perfect touch to an exhilarating second half performance by Leipzig, a team that had a rocky start but managed to turn things around and dominate against Stuttgart in the final 30 minutes.

Coach Marco Rose of Leipzig expressed his satisfaction with the result, stating, “We absolutely deserved this outcome today. Our performance improved and sharpened with each passing minute, and we had full control over the game.” This victory came as a response to their 3-2 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen the previous week.

Stuttgart entered the match with the confidence of being league leaders, having achieved a notable 5-0 victory over Bochum on the opening weekend. They managed to keep Leipzig at bay for the majority of the first half-hour. However, Leipzig was slowly gaining control when a defensive mishap occurred.

A misplayed pass from David Raum gifted Stuttgart an opportunity in the final third, allowing Serhou Guirassy to gracefully navigate through the box and secure the opening goal. As the first half concluded, Leipzig’s frustration grew after two penalty appeals were dismissed and Belgian striker Lois Openda was denied a goal by Stuttgart keeper Alexander Nuebel just before half time.

Nuebel’s outstanding saves persisted into the second half, including a remarkable reflex save against a header from Willi Orban. But within a few minutes, Nuebel’s shining night turned into a nightmare.

First, Nuebel’s clearance attempt was charged down by Benjamin Henrichs, resulting in the ball rebounding off the Leipzig player and into the net. He later let a low cross slip through his grasp, giving Openda an easy open goal opportunity.

Though VAR spared Nuebel from further embarrassment by ruling Openda fractionally offside, the keeper’s errors had already altered the course of the game. With renewed confidence, Leipzig launched forward, sensing an opportunity to take the lead.

Their efforts bore fruit just after the hour mark, when Spain international Dani Olmo skillfully maneuvered to send the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Openda later secured his goal, nodding the ball beneath the crossbar from close range to mark his second Bundesliga goal in as many games.

Kevin Kampl’s long-range shot deflected in on the 73rd minute, making the score 4-1. Simons then managed to break free from the defensive line and add a fifth goal a couple of minutes later. A stunned Alexander Nuebel summed up the challenging evening, saying, “It was a tough night.”