Champions League - Forsberg's farewell goal: Leipzig defeats Bern
Emil Forsberg's farewell present: the Swedish playmaker scored RB Leipzig to victory in the meaningless final group game of the Champions League.
Forsberg scored in the 56th minute against Young Boys Bern to make the final score 2:1 (0:0) and was celebrated by the 43,331 fans in what was very probably his last appearance in the top flight. Forsberg's transfer to New York has yet to be officially confirmed, which is expected to take place this week. Benjamin Sesko (51) for Leipzig and Ebrima Colley (53) for Bern had previously scored.
In sporting terms, everything was already clear before kick-off. RB Leipzig were already guaranteed a place in the last 16 as runners-up in Group G, while the Swiss champions continued their international season in third place in the Europa League. The draw for the knockout round of the top flight will take place in Nyon on Monday.
Rose's rotation machine
Coach Marco Rose made eight changes to his starting eleven compared to the win in Dortmund. The focus was on Peter Gulacsi, who was back in goal for a home game for the first time since tearing his cruciate ligament in October 2022. The Hungarian international also led the team onto the pitch as captain.
Stars and top scorers Loïs Openda and Xavi Simons were given a break and only came on in the final quarter of an hour, when Forsberg left to much applause. Liverpool loanee Fabio Carvalho was given a chance to prove himself in attacking midfield, with Christopher Lenz defending at left-back. In attack, Benjamin Sesko and Yussuf Poulsen were expected to cause problems for the Bern defense around former Berlin player Fabian Lustenberger.
And they succeeded in the early stages. After just six minutes, Forsberg set up Sesko and the Slovenian pirouetted around his opponent before slotting the ball into the far corner. The joy lasted just over half a minute, however, as Sesko was clearly offside.
Exhibition match with a manageable level
After that, the standard of play dropped dramatically. Misplaced passes, a lack of ideas, coordination problems and fouls characterized the action. The visitors had the best chance to take the lead in the first half, almost inevitably after a set piece. After a corner from Filip Ugrinic (21'), Cheikh Niasse got his head to the ball and Gulacsi prevented the deficit with a strong save.
Leipzig remained frighteningly harmless up front, not getting a single shot on target in the first half. That changed after the break. Another six minutes had passed and Sesko scored again - this time it counted. The 20-year-old outpaced his opponent with a simple hook and thumped the ball into the corner from close range.
The spell was broken - for Bern too. Just two minutes later, Castello Lukeba let the ball slip through, Jean-Pierre Nsame broke through on the right wing and fed Colley in the middle.
Just three minutes later, Forsberg took off with a left-footed shot into the far corner. In all likelihood, it was his last goal in the Champions League for RB Leipzig. The 32-year-old's winter transfer to sister club New York is reportedly a done deal. There, Forsberg, who has played in Leipzig since 2015, will receive the well-paid contract until 2027 that RB no longer wanted to give him.
The Champions League squads RB Leipzig YB Bern squad
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- Despite securing their spot in the Champions League's last 16, RB Leipzig faced Young Boys Bern in a Group G finale, aiming to clinch victory as a farewell gift for Emil Forsberg.
- In a potential swansong performance, Forsberg added to his Champions League tally by scoring against the Swiss champions in the 56th minute, sealing a 2-1 victory for Leipzig.
- New York City FC, Forsberg's prospective club, eagerly awaited the official confirmation of his transfer, expected to be finalized this week.
- Young Boys Bern, who had to settle for third place in their Europa League group, could only watch as their European campaign drew to a close in New York.
- Several weeks after recovering from a cruciate ligament injury, Peter Gulacsi returned to action in the Champions League, standing between the posts for RB Leipzig in their final group game.
- Marco Rose, the RB Leipzig coach, opted to give some players a rest and bring others into the limelight, such as Fabio Carvalho, for the Group G tie against the Swiss champions.
- The 20-year-old Benjamin Sesko seized his chance to finish off a move initiated by Forsberg, finding the back of the net and putting Leipzig ahead in the second half.
- With the hosts already leading, a misplaced pass from Castello Lukeba allowed Jean-Pierre Nsame to feed Ebrima Colley, who doubled the visitors' tally and equalized the score at 1-1.
- Despite conceding a second goal, RB Leipzig reclaimed the lead through their star player Emil Forsberg, who sealed a memorable Champions League victory in his likely last appearance for the German club before his move to New York.
Source: www.stern.de
