Leipzig seal Champions League berth in Bundesliga
RB Leipzig sealed Champions League qualification with a comfortable 2-1 win over St. Pauli on Saturday on a dramatic day in the Bundesliga's race for Europe.
Goals from Xaver Schlager and Willi Orban saw Leipzig secure third place with a game to spare and plunge St. Pauli deeper into the relegation mire.
"We were under a lot of pressure this season, but we are a great group and we rose to it," Leipzig’s captain David Raum said in a speech in front of the fans.
"We have achieved our goal now, so let's all have a drink and party all night long," he added.
The Hamburg side had scored just four goals in their previous eight games, and they were left to rue missed chances yet again in Leipzig.
The visitors squandered several chances on the counter-attack before Schlager hooked the ball in at a corner to give Leipzig the lead just before half time.
Orban doubled the lead with a brilliant header after the break, before Abdoulie Ceesay grabbed a late consolation for the visitors.
Defeat keeps St. Pauli second from bottom, setting up a winner-takes-all clash with fellow strugglers Wolfsburg on the final day of the season next weekend.
"We have to go about the last game like it's a war," St. Pauli's Louis Oppie told DAZN.
While Leipzig are now certain to finish third behind Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart lead the race for the fourth and final Champions League spot after landing a crucial 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
Stuttgart bounced back after a nightmare start, as Leverkusen took the lead with a smash-and-grab goal after just 34 seconds.
Centre-back Ramon Hendriks lost the ball on the halfway line, providing the visitors with a free run at goal and Aleix Garcia with an easy tap-in.
The hosts levelled the scores just five minutes later, however, Ermedin Demirovic smashing the ball in after a smart passing move in the box.
Demirovic was then tripped in the box on the stroke of half-time and Maximilian Mittelstädt put Stuttgart in front with a cool chipped penalty.
Stuttgart took control after the break, Deniz Undav sealing the win with an artistic finish after Demirovic had a goal ruled out for offside.
The result leaves Leverkusen three points adrift of the Champions League spots in sixth behind Stuttgart and Hoffenheim.
Hoffenheim remain level on points with Stuttgart in fifth after they beat ten-man Werder Bremen 1-0.
Bremen's Yukinari Sugawara was sent off early on for a dangerous challenge on Bazoumana Toure, who scored Hoffenheim's winner 20 minutes later.
Elsewhere, Augsburg kept their hopes of European qualification alive with a 3-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.
A brace for Michael Gregoritsch and a rare goal for defender Robin Fellhauer saw Augsburg take a 3-0 lead before Rocco Reitz pulled one back for Gladbach late in the game.
C.Herrera--ECdLR
