Soccer (Football)
A thriller in Berlin: how relentless RB Leipzig won their first major title
A first major trophy secured, a European semi-final and a Champions League spot confirmed – it’s been a stunning second half of the season for RB Leipzig.
A frenetic German Cup final ended in dramatic fashion for RB Leipzig as they defeated SC Freiburg on penalties to secure a first major domestic trophy – just six years after their promotion to the top division.
Despite being a goal behind and down to ten men after an hour, Domenico Tedesco’s team displayed unrelenting levels of energy to defend aggressively and keep attacking their opponents without fear.
They were rewarded in the 76th minute when top scorer and the Bundesliga’s Player of the Season Christopher Nkunku volleyed into the net at the back post for his 35th goal of a breakthrough campaign.
With the match finishing 1-1, in the decisive penalty shootout it was goalkeeper and captain Péter Gulácsi who underlined his hero status by forcing two Freiburg misses.
It was a case of third-time lucky for RB Leipzig at the Olympiastadion in Berlin after agonising final defeats in 2019 and 2021.
This is what cup winners look like: RB Leipzig celebrating after penalties
© Thomas Eisenhuth
Afterwards, Tedesco said: “We’ll need a few days to process everything – it was a really emotional game. I still can’t come to terms with it all.
“It's one thing to change the approach, and another thing to perform so well when you're a man down. I'm incredibly proud of the team and all the players.”
Here, we take a look over some of the key numbers from the history-making season you may have missed:
4
RB Leipzig’s final league position. Finishing in the top four on the final day of the season confirmed they will be playing Champions League football again next season.
4
The number of times Christopher Nkunku won the Bundesliga Player of the Month award. The French striker enjoyed a standout season which culminated with him being named Player of the Season in May.
6
Matches played en route to DFB Pokal glory. Before defeating SC Freiburg in the final, SV Sandhausen, SV Babelsberg, Hansa Rostock, Hannover 96 and Union Berlin were also overcome.
Celebration time for RB Leipzig after being crowned DFB Pokal champions.
© RB Leipzig
12
European nights experienced. What started with a blockbuster Champions League group alongside Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain ended with a Europa League run all the way to the semi-finals before losing out to Glasgow Rangers.
13
Number of assists Nkunku has provided. Alongside being top of the goalscoring charts, the Frenchman also leads the way when it comes to providing service to his teammates.
15
The longest unbeaten run of matches during the season. The Bulls were flying between February 11 and April 20, picking up 11 wins and four draws across three competitions.
24
The average age of the RB Leipzig squad. Full of energetic and hungry players, we already can’t wait to see them on the pitch again next season.
RB Leipzig players celebrate with the trophy in Berlin
© www.borisstreubel.de
35
The total number of goals scored by Nkunku. Broken down, the lethal finisher found the net 20 times in the Bundesliga, four in the Cup and 11 in Europe.
36
The age of head coach Domenico Tedesco. The Italian-German is the second youngest in the Bundesliga and has guided the team to new heights.
52
The total number of matches played over the season. After kicking off on August 7 in the first round of the DFP Pokal Cup, the final whistle blew on Leipzig’s season after lifting the trophy on May 21.
90+3
The minute Champions League football was secured. With the team needing a goal to draw level with Bielefeld and get the point needed to qualify for Europe’s elite competition, Willie Orban headed in a Dominik Szoboszlai freekick with one of the last touches of the game.
3,822
The total number of kilometres covered in the Bundesliga by RB Leipzig players this season. That’s over 112 every game!
Simakan has thrived playing as a right-sided centre-back
© RB Leipzig
7,690
The total number of sprints by RB Leipzig players over their 34 games in the Bundesliga.
45,770
The number of fans who packed into the Red Bull Arena for a match against Union Berlin in April.