Soccer-Struggling Leipzig rescue draw at Cologne with second-half equaliser

September 18, 2021

COLOGNE, Germany (Reuters) – Amadou Haidara’s second-half goal rescued a 1-1 draw for RB Leipzig at Cologne on Saturday, helping the side avoid their third straight league defeat although they remain stuck in the lower half of the Bundesliga table.

Following an exciting first half where both teams hit the woodwork, Anthony Modeste put the hosts in front in the 53rd minute following a VAR review.

Having lost their previous three matches in all competitions, including a 6-3 demolition at the hands of Manchester City in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday, last season’s runners-up Leipzig had to claw their way back into Saturday’s match.

Emil Forsberg forced a good save from Cologne keeper Timo Horn in the 64th with a volley from a tight angle. Horn made more than half a dozen outstanding saves in the match.

Leipzig’s Yussuf Poulsen should have done better a minute later but fired wide of the post from nine metres out, and Forsberg thought he had scored with a curled shot in the 66th only for his effort to be ruled offside.

But the visitors snatched a deserved equaliser when Haidara powered in his header from a corner at the near post in the 71st.

Leipzig drop to 13th place with four points from five matches, while Cologne climbed to sixth on eight points.

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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