Gimenez goal in the last minute shoots Atletico past Leipzig

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A goal from Jose Maria Gimenez in the 90th minute secured Atletico Madrid a 2-1 comeback win at home against RB Leipzig in their opening Champions League match on Thursday.

Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko gave the visitors the lead after just four minutes, but Antoine Griezmann equalized in the 28th minute.

In the last minute of normal time, the Frenchman lobbed the ball from the edge of the penalty area towards the goal and Gimenez jumped up and headed it back past goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi into the net.

Leipzig got off to an excellent start and Sesko gave the visitors an early lead after missing a cross from David Raum by inches.

The 21-year-old Slovenian found Lois Openda, whose shot was blocked by Jan Oblak, but the ball fell back to Sesko, who headed in from close range.

Leipzig almost scored a second goal shortly afterwards when Sesko got hold of a free kick from Xavi Simons, but the ball slipped out of play and a corner was awarded.

Cheered on by the raucous crowd in the Spanish capital, Atletico’s Angel Correa thought he had equalised midway through the first half, but his header failed to cross the goal line.

However, Atletico equalised just two minutes later when 2018 World Cup winner Griezmann scored with a controlled shot from 12 metres.

Leipzig had a last-minute chance to secure the game: Simons shot over the bar in the 72nd minute and Yussuf Poulsen headed wide just five minutes later.

For Leipzig it was the first defeat in a competition since February, a series of 17 games.

Atletico had lost the only previous meeting between the two teams, losing 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the 2019–20 season.

Leipzig’s task in the Champions League will not be any easier, as the club’s next two home games in October are against Juventus and Liverpool.