U21 Report: Saints 4-1 RB Leipzig
Southampton's Under-21s kicked off their Premier League International Cup campaign in style against RB Leipzig.
Under the lights at the Silverlake Stadium, Simon Rusk's side produced a clinical display against their German opponents to win 4-1 in their opening game of Group D.
Brandon Charles opened the scoring after a neat team move, before Baylee Dipepa maintained his recent scoring form to make it two before the break.
A quickfire second-half brace from loan striker Rory MacLeod put the result beyond all doubt, before an impressive strike from Joyeux Masanka Bungi added a consolation for the visitors.
With several changes and a return to a full academy side after recent first team involvements, Under-18s midfielder Moses Sesay was handed his first start at Under-21s level.
It was the visitors had the game's first opportunity in just the third minute, when a poor clearance presented a chance for Amos Gerth inside the area that Adli Mohamed recoverd well to save.
Saints wrestled control of the game and soon found their opener when a clever turn from Joe O'Brien-Whitmarsh created space in the Leipzig half.
The Irishman found his international teammate Romeo Akachukwu, who played a well-timed ball through the defence that gave Charles time and space to slot past Luca Janosch in goal.
Full-back Derrick Abu was next to go close with a cleanly-struck free-kick that was parried away, before the visitors came knocking again.
Nuha Jatta reacted first to a cleared corner to send a low drive back towards goal that was pushed away by Mohamed on the stretch.
Gerth then worked space well and found Lucio Šarić in the area, but Mohamed was alert again with another diving save.
Leipzig's missed chances were punished before the break with a stunning solo goal from Dipepa, who took his tally
A long ball from Charles released Dipepa just inside the opposition's half as he drove forward into the area, before jinking past three defenders and the goalkeeper to roll the ball into the back of the net.
The second half was quieter with Saints still in the ascendency; the next chance came just after the hour mark when Will Armitage hit the post with a header from a corner.
It wasn't until substitute Rory MacLeod was introduced that the scoring continued, as the Scotsman started a move the led to the third goal.
He slipped a pass to Moses Sesay who drove forward and found Jay Robinson on the left with time to pick out a cutback pass for MacLeod to stroked the ball home as he arrived at the six-yard box.
Another neat passage saw MacLeod strike again just eight minutes later when Robinson linked up well with Princewill Ehibhatiomhan and Sam Tabares on the left.
The latter drilled in a low cross that was finished confidently by Saints' on-loan forward from a similar position.
RB Leipzig did find a goal of their own in the closing moments when Jatta picked out Masanka Bungi on the edge of the area, who shifted onto his left foot and fired in an impressive consolation.
Saints: Mohamed, Abu, Tabares, Moore, Armitage, Sesay, Charles (Merry 63), O'Brien-Whitmarsh (Fry 89), Dipepa (Ehibhatiomhan 69), Akachukwu (MacLeod 69), Robinson (Myers 89).
Subs not used: McNamara, Hewlett.
Goals: Charles 12, Dipepa 41, MacLeod 71, 79.
RB Leipzig: Janosch, Heyer (Neumann 65), Jatta, Schößler, Sakar, Gerth (Boog 76), Voufack, Šarić (Masanka Bungi 71), Reschke, Bulland, Schuldes.
Subs not used: Lottes, Weißbach.
Goals: Masanka Bungi 81.