Champions League: Timo Werner injury and Besiktas loss leaves Leipzig in trouble
In the end, RB Leipzig’s first competitive match outside of Germany wasn’t the celebration its fans had hoped for. A 2-0 defeat in Istanbul, to reigning Turkish champions Besiktas, was made worse by the sight of Timo Werner leaving the field early into the match with reported circulatory problems.
A typically hostile atmosphere had the guests rattled in the opening minutes and it wasn’t long before the Germans found themselves behind. Ryan Babel diverted a low, awkward cross beyond Peter Gulacsi in the eleventh minute; his fifth goal of the season sending the home fans into raptures.
Ryan Babel opened the scoring for Besiktas
To compound things, Naby Keita and Willi Orban were both booked in the opening twenty-minutes; far earlier than RB Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhüttl could have been comfortable with. Werner’s exit shortly after added to a frustrating opening quarter.
Whether it was inexperience at this level, or simply the quality of a Besiktas team containing two reigning European Championship winners, RB Leipzig only managed to impress in flashes. Two minutes from the break, Anderson Talisca met a Ricardo Quaresma cross to double the host’s lead. No further goals were to arrive on a difficult evening.
Only 250 Leipzig fans were in attendance at Vodafone Park, owing to frayed political tensions between Turkey and Germany, rather than a lack of fan interest. It will be interesting, in the reverse fixture, to find out if Leipzig fans can create the kind of atmosphere they were met with here.
The result leaves Leipzig bottom of UEFA Champions League Group G, with one point from its opening two games. Porto’s visit to the Red Bull Arena on October 17th is now more crucial than ever. Win, and the club can move into second place and a qualification spot. Lose, and it’s surely too much to expect further fixtures in this competition beyond Christmas.
