RB Leipzig on Friday tuned up for their UEFA Champions League clash against Liverpool with a 2-1 home win over Augsburg in the Bundesliga amid reports defender Dayot Upamecano is set to join Bayern Munich next season.
German magazine Kicker and newspaper Bild reported that Bayern are to pay 43 million euros (US$52 million) to activate the buy-out clause for Upamecano, an unused substitute against Augsburg.
Leipzig sports director Markus Kroesche said that Upamecano was rested ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League first leg against Liverpool, which has been switched to Budapest due to Germany’s COVID-19 travel restrictions from the UK.
Photo: Reuters
“I just concentrated on the game, I know that the player has a buy-out clause, but I had a Bundesliga match to worry about,” said Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann, who declined to confirm the Upamecano reports.
Upamecano is set to replace David Alaba, 28, who is leaving Bayern when his contract expires in June after repeatedly turning down extension offers.
Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic told Bild that he could confirm the transfer of the 22-year-old defender.
“I can [confirm it] and we at FC Bayern are very happy about it,” Salihamidzic said. “We had very good, intensive and professional talks with Dayot and his agent Volker Struth over many months. We knew that we had very strong competition. We presented him with our vision of his career at FC Bayern. At the end of a long process, players, family and management were convinced that FC Bayern is the right partner.”
Both Liverpool and Chelsea were also reportedly targeting the France defender.
In sub-zero temperatures, Leipzig warmed up for Liverpool with goals by Dani Olmo and Christopher Nkunku giving them a 2-0 lead at halftime.
After Nordi Mukiele was fouled in the penalty area, Olmo had his first penalty attempt saved by Augsburg goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz, but the video assistant referee ordered the spot-kick to be retaken after Gikiewicz was judged to have stepped off his line and Olmo made no mistake with his second attempt.
Nkunku doubled the lead soon after when Yussuf Poulsen presented him with a simple tap-in just before halftime.
Augsburg pulled a goal back when midfielder Daniel Caligiuri converted a penalty 13 minutes from the end.
Nkunku could have added a second goal when he hit the post late on.
“We did well, but it was too tense at the end. The goal we conceded annoyed me a bit,” Nagelsmann said after Leipzig secured a third consecutive league win.
His second-placed side cut Bayern Munich’s lead at the top of the Bundesliga to four points.
Bayern host DSC Arminia Bielefeld tomorrow having beaten Mexican side Tigres UANL in the FIFA Club World Cup final in Qatar on Thursday.
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