RB Leipzig 1-1 MSV Duisburg, Sunday 18th August 2013

Raisonballsport Leizig 1-1 MSV Duisburg, att. 13,758 (3.liga)

Outside the Main Stand.

A fortnight after seeing RB lose a DFB Pokal game in front of 30,000, it's back to the 3.liga.  3 games in and both teams have had promising starts, two wins.  It's a chance to cement a leading berth

Getting to the stadium half an hour before kick-off, the queues were horrendous (on the main stand side).  Still, there were ticket booths on the opposite side so I headed there.  I knew there was a rabbit off though when the number of pedestrians dried up around the tower above the ‘Festwiese’ (the field next to the stadium).  The booths I had in mind were shut (the entire upper tier on that side was closed).  So they weren't expecting a big crowd.  As it was, 13,000 odd turned up.

The RB ultras, all-seated unlike every other German stadium.

Duisburg, forcibly relegated due to financial misdemeanors, have no respect for the parvenus of Red Bull.  A mainstay in the upper divisions, their fans bemoaned the lack of tradition of RB.  But whatever you think of the politics, the Red Bull Arena is simply one of the finest in the world, built within the old zentralstadion.  As the away turnstiles were next on our clockwise tour of the stadium we (my better half was also with me) slipped in there.  Although technically lower tier, the view was still fantastic, high up in the corner.

Match action.  RB go close.

The match started at a pace.  Leipzig could have been 3-0 up in 10 minutes, Bundesliga build-up play followed by 3.liga finishing.  Then MSV took the lead, a quick break, the forward clean through, he took it around the keeper, but with the angle diminishing and a covering defender sliding to the line, he had the wherewithawal to pull it back to give his mate a tap-in.  Cue celebrations in the stands for the ‘zebrafreundes’.  Why zebras?  MSV’s hoops are BLUE.

Harry the zebrafreunde was here.

The lead didn't last.  Within 5 minutes Red Bull got a free kick 25 yards out, which was curled left-footed into the corner.  Good finish, but essence of slow motion about it.  Keepers need to learn to take a couple of paces before diving.  And that was it.

After an entertaining first half, precisely nothing happened in the second, as evidenced by zero injury time.  Since when does that happen in a second half these days?  I missed the highlight at half time, the Duisburg fans waving rubber rings in the air and throwing them on the pitch.  Dunno what that was about.  They also unveiled a banner, probably the one I photo’d outside the stadium.  Red Bull are going to have to put up with more of this if their ascent continues.

The Duisburg players come to salute their following.

At the end, MSV fans cheered the result.  Despite being a big fish in a small pond, they're not optimistic of an automatic return.  I guess they’re relieved to even have a team following financial problems.

The Damage:

€15 ent

€3 beer

€3 badge

= €21

Match action, looking towards the main stand side.

Sektor C completely empty.

The beautiful curve of the stand.

Sektor D closed too.

Looking towards the far corner.

Even the seat patterns are beautiful.

Duisburg players take the acclaim.

Exiting over what used to be the terrace of the old zentralstadion.

What's not to like?

'Zebras have tradition'...RB do not.

The facade of the old main stand.