RB Leipzig lose again in the Champions League despite taking the lead. This time, even a two-goal lead and a superior number of players were not enough for the first victory. After the bitter last-minute defeat at Atlético Madrid, the Bundesliga club lost 2:3 (1:0) to Italian record champions Juventus Turin in the second preliminary round match of the Champions League. Benjamin Sesko (30th minute/65th/manual penalty) gave Leipzig the lead twice in front of 45,228 spectators in the sold-out Red Bull Arena. Dusan Vlahovic (50th/65th) equalized twice for the visitors before substitute Francisco Conceicao (83rd) scored the winner. Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio (58) was shown the red card for a handball outside the penalty area after video evidence.
After a save by Gulacsi from a 25-meter shot by Teun Koopmeiners, the keeper made the game quick again. Openda played a dream pass in the center into the path of Sesko, who slammed the ball under the crossbar from full stretch. It was his fifth goal of the season. It was only the second goal of the season for Torino, who have yet to concede in Serie A, after conceding the first in the 3-1 opening win against PSV Eindhoven.
No penalty for Juve star Valhovic
Juve appealed for a penalty after contact with star striker Vlahovic (37'). However, referee Francois Letexier (France), who had also refereed the European Championship final this summer, allowed play to continue after a brief VAR check. A subsequent shot by Nicolo Fagioli (44) went just wide. The technically adept Italians had a little more of the play towards the end of the first half and tried more with shots from the second row like Conceicao (45.+3).
