Kebab fan Timo loses goal recipe
IF Timo Werner does arrive at Liverpool next season he will have to ask his new team-mates to show him what a title medal looks like.
Werner’s RB Leipzig failed to crank up the pressure on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich when German football was relaunched yesterday.
Despite having 21 efforts on goal, Julian Nagelsmann’s side needed a second-half equaliser from skipper Yussuf Poulsen to rescue a point.
Leipzig trail Bayern by four points ahead of the champions’ trip to Union Berlin – and it seems that only Borussia Dortmund can prevent the Bavarian giants taking the title for an eighth successive season.
Werner, 24, showed some classy touches as speculation continues to grow that Jurgen Klopp will pay £52million to take the kebab-loving striker to Anfield.
But he seems to have forgotten where the back of the net is.
Even before lockdown, Werner had gone three games without adding to his tally of 27 goals for the season.
Leipzig’s old Zentralstadion used to host crowds in excess of 100,000 – but there were only a couple of hundred players, officials and media personnel inside the redeveloped stadium.
Substitutes, wearing protective masks, practiced social distancing on the bench. But old habits die hard.
Players from both sides continued to spit – and when Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku committed an early foul his initial reaction was to offer a handshake of apology.
Premier League bosses will have taken note as they plot a resumption of the season in England to give Liverpool the chance to clinch the title they deserve.
The home side spent most of the afternoon camped in Freiburg’s half. After 34 minutes they were also chasing the game.
Konrad Laimer, Nkunku, Werner and Kevin Kampl all threatened for Leipzig.
Then, against the run of play, Vincenzo Grifo’s corner found Manuel Gulde at the near post and the centre-back conjured up a clever finish with his heel.
Just as it seemed Leipzig’s seven-match unbeaten run was about to end, Poulsen rose at the far post to meet Kampl’s cross with an emphatic header.
Freiburg had scored twice in injurytime to beat Leipzig earlier in the season.
And they thought they had mugged them again when Robin Koch nudged home substitute Lucas Holer’s knockdown. The home side were spared when replays proved Holer was a fraction offside.
Football is back – and so is VAR.