Nkunku rises to the occasion as Leipzig top Leverkusen
January 30, 2021
RB Leipzig 1-0 Bayer Leverkusen, Red Bull Arena
(Nkunku 51')
Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz winced when he saw the goal from Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku hit the back of the net.
Bosz's side had done well keeping their hosts at bay during their Saturday evening showcase in Red Bull Arena. But when Nkunku re-collected the ball in Leverkusen's penalty area and smacked it past goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, the Dutch coach couldn't hide his dismay.
One can understand stand Bosz's frustration as it wasn't the cleanest of goals. Nkunku's first effort was blocked well by Leverkusen's Edmund Tapsoda, and the Leipzig midfielder benefited from a fortunate deflection off Florian Wirtz. But the finish was top class, one that Hradecky had no chance of saving.
It was the only goal of a high-paced spectacle between the Bundesliga's second and third best teams coming into the weekend.
The strike was also just Nkunku's third of the season, which has been marred by a calf injury he suffered in December. But the young French midfielder has come out to play in Leipzig's biggest games this season and, quietly, has been one of Julian Nagelsmann's most important players.
A man for the biggest stage
After moving from Paris Saint-Germain for a relatively meager €13 million, Nkunku had a pretty strong debut season in Leipzig last term, recording five goals and 13 assists.
He showcased pace, positional versatility and the ability to pick out a pass in the final third. His 13 assists ranked third in the Bundesliga last season, behind only Thomas Müller and Jadon Sancho.
Nkunku has not enjoyed the same success in the German top-flight this season. The 23-year-old didn't score in the league until November against newly-promoted Arminia Bielefeld. His only assist thus far came against Schalke, the worst defense in the Bundesliga.
But Nkunku has been a man for the big occasion. He scored an equalizer against his former PSG in a crucial game for Leipzig during the Champions League group stage. He also set up the eventual game-winner against Manchester United that saw the Red Bulls reach the knockout stages.
Domestically, the Frenchman scored the first goal of a wild 3-3 draw with Bayern Munich. On Saturday, his goal against Leverkusen saw Leipzig solidify their position as Bayern's primary challenger, though the Red Bulls remain seven points behind the defending champions.
Focal point going forward?
Though his surface statistics have worsened this season, Nkunku has been one of Leipzig's most important players.
With him in the starting lineup for this season, Leipzig have scored 2.1 goals per game in the Bundesliga. They have scored 1.5 goals per game when he has either started on the bench or missed the game through injury. That half-goal difference is a testament to his impact in the final third.
His presence there seems more critical than ever, considering how thin Leipzig are up front. Emil Forsberg, who missed Saturday's game with a knee injury, has done well but is not the target man Nagelsmann has been playing him as. More traditional strikers Yussuf Poulsen and Alexander Sorloth have underwhelmed, scoring just five league goals combined.
Nkunku won't solve Nagelsmann's striker puzzle with his still-improving finishing skills — his miss from just outside the six-yard box against Union Berlin last week was comically poor. But he does impact the game in the opponent's half, which will make life easier for whoever is leading the line for Leipzig.
Saturday's win for the Red Bulls was the first against Leverkusen during Nagelsmann's tenure. To get three points against Germany's other top sides, Nkunku will surely have to remain a big part of the young coach's plans.