Angeliño gets Leipzig off to Champions League winning start

Spanish defender Angeliño scored twice to lead Leipzig to a 2-0 win over Istanbul Basaksehir in their Champions League opening game Tuesday.

The match was played in front of just under 1,000 fans after plans to allow 8,500 supporters were shelved due to a rise in the number of local coronavirus infections. Leipzig’s Malian midfielder Amadou Haidara was already ruled out after returning from international duty with the virus last week.

Enzo Crivelli and Deniz Türüc missed early chances for the Turkish champion before Angeliño scored in the 16th minute. Kevin Kampl lobbed the ball forward and Angeliño controlled it and turned with his first movement before firing inside the bottom right corner with his next.

The Spanish wing-back only had to wait four minutes for his second goal. Basaksehir defender Alexandru Epureanu lost the ball to Yussuf Poulsen, who passed to Christopher Nkunku. Nkunku played it on straight away to Angeliño, who swept it in past the helpless Mert Günok in the Basaksehir goal.

Angeliño had scored in both of his last two Bundesliga games, too.

Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann brought on Hwang Hee-chan for the second half, and the South Korean forward might have marked his European debut for Leipzig with a goal had he not cut back instead of shooting on the hour-mark.

Dayot Upamecano was fortunate not to be sent off for a bad tackle on Crivelli. The Leipzig defender had already been booked in the first half.

Upamecano had almost cost his side a goal, too. But İrfan Can Kahveci was unable to capitalize for the visitors.

Upamecano made way for Ibrahima Konaté in the 66th, when Nagelsmann also brought on Benjamin Henrichs for Dani Olmo.

By that stage, however, the home side was content to see out the win.

“We have to improve, to play even better,” Angeliño said.

Manchester United won 2-1 at Paris Saint-Germain in the other Group H game.

Image credits: AP