LEIPZIG: RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai scored in each half to secure a 2-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart on Friday that lifted his side to second place and within a point of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.

Marco Rose’s Leipzig, who have now won six of their last seven league matches and have lost just once since he took over in September, are on 35 points behind Bayern, who have a game in hand.

Two straight draws for Bayern, including against Leipzig, since the restart of the Bundesliga following the winter break have slowed their march towards an 11th successive title.

“It feels good, we’re in a really good place,” Leipzig right-back Benjamin Henrichs told DAZN. “We haven’t lost for a very long time and that speaks volumes. It’s important to take the points in games like this and keep at it.”

Leipzig took the lead in the 25th minute at the Red Bull Arena as Hungary international Szoboszlai drilled in a free kick from 30 metres, with the ball bouncing in front of Stuttgart goalkeeper Florian Muller.

The winger had previously scored only one league goal this season but he found the net again shortly after half-time. There was nothing Muller could have done to keep out Szoboszlai’s wonderful volley from the edge of the box.

Leipzig, unbeaten against Stuttgart in their 10 Bundesliga matches, should have scored again with Andre Silva hitting the woodwork in the first half and wasting another golden chance just past the hour when his close-range header missed the mark.

Instead it was relegation-threatened Stuttgart who pulled one back with a Chris Fuehrich penalty in the 68th, but despite late pressure they could not find an equaliser that would have moved them up from 15th place.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2023