RB Leipzig knocked Bayern Munich off top spot in the Bundesliga table on Saturday as their 2-1 win at home to Schalke 04 left them three points clear.
Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern had regained the lead with a 3-1 win at FSV Mainz 05 on Friday, but Leipzig replaced them less than 24 hours later.
Bayern and Leipzig are set to meet at Munich’s Allianz Arena on Dec. 21 in a mouth-watering pre-Christmas showdown.
Photo: EPA
A second-half own-goal from Schalke’s Bosnia international Sead Kolasinac sealed Leipzig’s win, their 10th league victory, extending their record unbeaten run to 13 matches in their first season in the top flight.
Leipzig took an early lead in controversial fashion as Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann conceded a penalty with just 19 seconds gone when the referee judged he had made contact with Leipzig top-scorer Timo Werner.
Replays showed the Leipzig forward dived, but Werner, 20, drilled in his eighth league goal of the season. Faehrmann was booked to add insult to injury for Schalke.
Werner said he told referee Bastian Dankert — who later admitted he had made the wrong decision after watching replays — that there was no contact from Faehrmann, but went to ground from a push by Schalke defender Naldo.
“I’m sorry that it looks like a dive, that wasn’t my intention, but there was a push from Naldo,” Werner said. “I told the referee there was no contact from Faehrmann, but he didn’t listen to me in the heat of the moment.”
Long after the final whistle, Faehrmann was still fuming about the incident.
“It’s enough to make you sick. Werner told him [Dankert] that there was no contact and I still got a yellow card,” the goalkeeper said.
Schalke regained their composure and drew level when Bosnia winger Kolasinac drilled home a cross on 32 minutes, but the 23-year-old, who has been linked to Liverpool, turned the ball into his own net two minutes into the second half following a free-kick from Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg.
With time running out, Schalke centerback Naldo cleared off the line from Forsberg.
It was Schalke’s first defeat in 13 games, dating back to the end of September, leaving them in eighth place.
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