"Leipzig might not be every Bundesliga fan's idea of a weekend idyll but as the sun set on 2025, the venue for the final Saturday night Topspiel of the year might have been the scene of a minor Christmas miracle. It had already been a worthy showpiece to draw the curtains on pre-Christmas Bundesliga but the end result achieved not without a smidgeon of controversy left us with a satisfying tale to tell by an open fire over holiday season."
"At RB Leipzig, Erik ten Hag's era seemed like aeons ago as they reacted with certainty, even to difficult moments like going a goal down to Xaver Schlager's smart finish from the edge of the area. That occurred 10 minutes before half-time yet at the interval Leverkusen led, courtesy of a looping header from the resurgent Martin Terrier and a Bergkamp-esque slalom and smash into the roof of the net by Patrik Schick."
"The debate came later, when the 18-year-old debutant Montrell Culbreath iced the win by breaking clear and after briefly considering squaring to his teammate Christian Kofane driving his finish high past Peter Gulacsi. Leipzig were still calling for a penalty at the other end after the Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich handled the ball while tumbling over Willi Orban, before the cleared ball broke to Culbreath on the halfway line."
Leipzig hosted the final Saturday night Topspiel of 2025 where Bayer Leverkusen beat RB Leipzig. Leverkusen led at half-time through Martin Terrier's looping header and Patrik Schick's Bergkamp-esque solo and finish after Xaver Schlager had given Leipzig an earlier lead. Eighteen-year-old Montrell Culbreath sealed the victory by breaking clear and finishing high past Peter Gulacsi after briefly considering squaring to Christian Kofane. A late handball by Robert Andrich while tumbling over Willi Orban prompted penalty claims, but the referee allowed the play to continue and the goal stood. Leverkusen sit third heading into the new year, reflecting clear progress under Kasper Hjulmand.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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