Diomande scores late winner to put RB Leipzig on brink of Champions League qualification

[p]Most of the first half’s notable action came inside the opening 30 minutes, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baku-bote/AVMjVAqt/"]Ridle Baku[/a] arguably enjoying the two best chances.[/p][p]With just 13 minutes on the clock, he made a superb touch at the end of a precise pass inside the box, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nicolas-moritz/QHmvN1QT/"]Moritz Nicolas[/a] read the danger well and managed to save the effort. And on 28’, he did the hard part by side-stepping a challenge and making space, but could only blaze over the bar from a promising position.[/p][p]Between those flashpoints, Joe Scally saw what looked like a good cross snuffed out by an alert [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rb-leipzig/KbS1suSm/"]Leipzig[/a] backline, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/reitz-rocco/jsIjP0Al/"]Rocco Reitz[/a] was left exasperated, as his shot from distance cannoned off a white shirt.[/p][p]From there, the game was largely stop-start up to half-time, with Gladbach perhaps feeling the happier of the two sides to go in goalless, having never previously won at this venue.[/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="93687a34-af6c-410d-86cf-f75dbb1a5eb3" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="4e58a5cd-2173-4b0d-8e64-bd5f09ceec1f" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]The same pattern persisted after half-time, with Leipzig’s full-backs looking particularly menacing, but Gladbach’s backline handling the pressure well.[/p][p]And the visitors’ defensive discipline almost paid off with 20 minutes to go, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tabakovic-haris/Asecu8a3/"]Haris Tabakovic[/a] only narrowly missed the mark at the end of a promising cross.[/p][p]That said, the Leipzig overlap continued to be the biggest influence on this game’s dynamics, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raum-david/2XVqEh8k/"]David Raum[/a] managed to work his way into the area, only for Nicolas to again come to Gladbach’s rescue.[/p][p]Next, it was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schlager-xaver/M1bcCLIU/"]Xaver Schlager[/a]’s turn to curse the heavens, as – after Tabakovic was dispossessed in the area – some blistering interplay allowed Baku to square the ball for the Austrian, but he couldn’t get past the immovable Nicolas, who saved low to ramp up the frustrations.[/p][p][b]However, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diomande-yan/0p2ORrJi/"]Yan Diomande[/a] finally broke Gladbach’s resistance 10 minutes from time, with a break forward seeing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baumgartner-christoph/rqcu4a9O/"]Christoph Baumgartner[/a] slide the teenage sensation through on goal, and Diomande smashed the ball home viciously inside the post – his 11th goal of a breakout campaign.[/b][/p][embed guid="5d489567-b2c3-45e4-bfe2-5ff8cfbc8b81" url="https://x.com/RBLeipzig_EN/status/2042984024482754951" social-type="twitter" /][p]For their part, Gladbach hadn’t shown much to suggest they’d snatch a point after going behind – but that they nearly did, when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chiarodia-fabio-cristian/G8pNcC0K/"]Fabio Chiarodia[/a] could only hit the crossbar with the goal almost at his mercy in a rare defensive lapse from Leipzig.[/p][p]A hurried clearance reminded all in attendance that there was no room for complacency, but Leipzig managed to compose themselves and hold out for a victory that keeps them in pole position for a UEFA Champions League spot next term.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diomande-yan/0p2ORrJi/"]Yan Diomande[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rb-leipzig/KbS1suSm/"]RB Leipzig[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/b-monchengladbach-88HSzjDr/rb-leipzig-KbS1suSm/summary/stats/?mid=OAmZQPbL"]Catch up on the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]