U21 Report: Saints 0-3 RB Leipzig

A hat-trick from winger Yohan Ngatcheu Kouatcha, with two goals in the first half and one in the second, proved to be enough for Leipzig to take the three points on offer.

Saints had chances in the game, with Nick Oyekunle, Harry Gathercole, and Thierry Rohart-Brown all going close to scoring, but Adam Lallana’s side end their group stage fixtures in this competition with one draw and three losses.

A bright start to the game from Saints saw striker Nick Oyekunle go close on two occasions, first seeing a header from the centre of goal saved excellently by Franz Hautschmann before firing across goal after being set up nicely by Cameron Bragg’s pass.

Saints lined up against their German counterparts. (Photos: Craig Hobbs)

However, it was Leipzig who took the lead on 13 minutes when Kouatcha won his side a penalty after being tripped in the Saints area, and he picked himself up to dispatch the resulting spot-kick.

The visitors to the Silverlake Stadium went close again when Samba Konate test the reflexes of Saints goalkeeper George Long but, despite looking to find the far corner, his effort was too central and allowed Long to save.

Further Leipzig opportunities for Mads Broecker and opening scorer Kouatcha were not taken either, with Long making another comfortable save to deny the former and Kouatcha blazing wildly over the bar.

Some bright spells of play in the final third followed for Saints as they looked to end the half on a high, but they weren’t able to force an equaliser before the break – Sutura Kakay’s shot from just outside the box forced a comfortable late save from Leipzig’s Hautschmann.

Unfortunately for Adam Lallana’s side, Leipzig doubled their lead with the last kick of the first half when Kouatcha netted his second of the evening as his deflected free kick flew into the back of the net.

As the game moved into the second half and past the hour mark, Saints had a couple of chances to half the deficit.

Nick Oyekunle’s shot towards the near post was close to sneaking in but was deflected wide, and from the resulting corner Jayden Moore rose highest to meet the delivery into the box but headed wide.

With Saints getting closer to finding a way back into the game, Leipzig strengthened their position and put the result beyond doubt when Kouatcha completed his hat-trick in the 66th minute, cutting in from the right and placing into the far corner.

A strong ending to the game from Saints saw them pile on the pressure in the hope of grabbing a late goal, but chances for substitutes Harry Gathercole and Thierry Rohart-Brown saw them unable to force a consolation.

Saints are next in action on Sunday 8th February when they host Liverpool in Premier League 2, with kick off at the Silverlake Stadium set for 1pm.

Saints: Long, Whittaker (Adjei-Afriyie 58'), Moore, Okunola, Sesay, Bragg (Williams 45'), Kakay (Rohart-Brown 74'), Sillah Dibaga (Gathercole 45'), Daley, Charles (Merry 58'), Oyekunle

Unused subs: Abbotson, Dobson-Ventura.

RB Leipzig: Hautschmann, Heyer, Kallefleiter, Schuldes, Konate (Franke 73'), Ngana (Norbye 73'), Langsteiner, Kouatcha, Masanka Bungi (Kutscher 85'), Broecker (Naumann 64')

Unused subs: Haehner, Thomasevic, Voufack.

Goals:Kouatcha (13' pen, 45+6', 66')