Šeško and Xavi take ten-man Leipzig past Pauli | OneFootball

Clinical RB Leipzig overcome stubborn St. Pauli despite late red card drama

RB Leipzig secured a hard-fought 2-0 win against St. Pauli with goals from Benjamin Šeško and Xavi Simons. Willi Orbán's red card added late drama, but Leipzig's defence stood strong.

RB Leipzig 2-0 St. PauliGoals: 1-0 Šeško 16’ (assist: Xavi), 2-0 Xavi 35’ (assist Šeško)Red card: Orban 69’

Aiming to edge ahead of Stuttgart and back into the division's top four, Leipzig faced a St. Pauli side riding high after three unbeaten games.

The match burst into life early on as St. Pauli almost took a shock lead when Eric Smith's free-kick forced a spectacular save from Peter Gulácsi, with Jackson Irvine's follow-up cleared off the line.

Referee Florian Badstubner shows a red card to Willi Orbán, reducing Leipzig to ten men (Maja Hitij)

Hosts hit the front

However, it was Leipzig who struck first in the 16th minute. Xavi orchestrated a swift counter-attack, finding Šeško with a perfectly-weighted pass. The Slovenian striker made no mistake, curling a sublime finish into the far corner. Leipzig doubled their lead in the 35th minute through a moment of brilliance from Xavi. Ridle Baku's incisive pass found Šeško, who unselfishly laid it off for Simons to smash home, highlighting the burgeoning partnership between the two forwards.

Peter Gulácsi makes a crucial save to maintain Leipzig's clean sheet in the closing stages (IMAGO/Michael Taeger)

St. Pauli's valiant effort

Despite the scoreline, St. Pauli were far from outclassed. The visitors twice came agonisingly close to scoring, with Noah Weißhaupt striking the crossbar on the stroke of half-time. The second half saw Pauli push hard for a way back into the match, with manager Alexander Blessin introducing Elias Saad and Adam Dźwigała to inject fresh energy. Their cause was aided in the 69th minute when Leipzig's captain, Orbán, received a straight red card for a last-man challenge on Saad. The dismissal set up a tense finale, with St. Pauli throwing everything at the Leipzig defence.

Leipzig's resilience shines through

With their backs against the wall, Leipzig showed remarkable resilience. Marco Rose responded to the red card by making a triple change to shore up the defence and maintain a threat on the counter. Gulácsi proved to be a formidable last line of defence, making crucial saves in the dying minutes. The Hungarian goalkeeper denied Irvine and Johannes Eggestein with spectacular stops, preserving Leipzig's clean sheet. The final whistle brought relief and jubilation for the home side, who had weathered the storm to secure a vital three points.

Player of the Match: Xavi

While several Leipzig players shone, Xavi stood out as the game's most influential figure. The Dutch midfielder was at the heart of Leipzig's attacking play, providing the assist for Šeško's opener before scoring a brilliant goal himself. Xavi's vision, technique, and work rate were instrumental in Leipzig's dominant first-half display. Even after Orbán's dismissal, the Dutch master continued to pose a threat on the counter-attack, helping to relieve pressure on his team's defence. His performance underlined why he has become such a key player for Rose's side this season.

Bundesliga Match FactsxGoals: Leipzig 1.37 - St. Pauli 1.06Fastest player: Benjamin Šeško (Leipzig), 35.33 km/hLowest goal probability: 1-0 by Benjamin Šeško (Leipzig), 17 per centMost pressed player: Xavi Simons (Leipzig), 26 times under pressurePass efficiency: Kevin Kampl (Leipzig), +4.38

Fantasy Heroes: Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig, 324 Points), Peter Gulácsi (RB Leipzig, 215 Points), Benjamin Šeško (RB Leipzig, 210 Points)

Liked the article? Find more articles on the official Bundesliga App.