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Bundesliga: Dominik Szoboszlai starts to make up for lost time in RB Leipzig win
After a shock defeat in their Bundesliga opener, RB Leipzig stepped up a gear with a 4-0 win over Stuttgart. Victory was a welcome relief for new coach Jesse Marsch, who had a familiar, if frustrated, face to thank.
RB Leipzig 4 - 0 Stuttgart (Szoboszlai 38', 52', Forsberg 46', Silva pen 65')
After a shock loss to Mainz in last weekend's opener, RB Leipzig started in ferocious fashion on Friday. But it didn't pay off immediately. Andre Silva tried acrobatics, Emil Forsberg tried to pick the lock and Willi Orban tried brute force. But with Stuttgart keeper Florian Müller equal to the task, it took a strike forged in frustration to open the floodgates.
Back in December, Dominik Szoboszlai was on track. The highly-regarded talent had scored the playoff goal that sent Hungary to Euro 2020 and had signed a deal to follow the welltrodden path from RB Salzburg to RB Leipzig in January. But an adductor injury meant he never featured for the German side last season and missed Hungary's impressive tournament.
After being handed his full Bundesliga debut by another who has followed the Red Bull road, coach Jesse Marsch, Szoboszlai broke the deadlock with a stunning, and surprising strike. Seemingly heading nowhere on the right side of the box, the 20-year-old decided enough was enough. No more trying to find the final ball, no more waiting for his chance. His whipped effort flew across Müller, who seemed shocked to face a shot of any sort, and in to the opposite corner. Lift off, finally.
"You can't have a better debut in front of fans," Szoboszlai told broadcaster DAZN after the game. "I have gone through an awful lot, it wasn't easy.
"I'm very happy that we can be in front of fans again and I could score two goals. Today was perfect. We reacted very well to the game against Mainz."
Silva also shines
If the goal meant plenty to the player, it also meant plenty to the team, and Marsch's men were rampant. Emil Forsberg, a sparky presence throughout, finished a brilliant team move directly from the second half kick off after a silky flick from Andre Silva.
But Szoboszlai was not to be upstaged. The attacking midfielder was linking play, driving through the lines and relentless out of possession. He also showed how deadly he can be from dead balls. First his freekick from deep just eluded Forsberg before another, from a wide position, flashed brilliantly across a number of attacking heads before nestling in the far post. It may not have been entirely deliberate but the power generated from such a clipped, casual strike told the story of a gifted player imbued with confidence.
A first RB Leipzig goal for big money striker Silva topped off a memorable first Bundesliga home game for Marsch, who was able to withdraw the former Frankfurt striker and Szoboszlai shortly after. With fixtures against fellow Champions League side Wolfsburg and then champions Bayern approaching, the American wants to keep his main weapons fresh.
His compatriot, Pellegrino Matarazzo, knew his side were second best in the first Bundesliga meeting of two American coaches. If Szoboszlai can sustain the threat he showed on Friday, he won't be the last opponent to be forced in to damage limitation.