Klopp Smiles Broadly as Leipzig Defeats Werder Bremen 4-2 in Bundesliga

Jurgen Klopp (5thL), new global head of football at Red Bull, arrives next to Saxony's State Premier Michael Kretschmer (R) prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)
Jurgen Klopp (5thL), new global head of football at Red Bull, arrives next to Saxony's State Premier Michael Kretschmer (R) prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)
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Klopp Smiles Broadly as Leipzig Defeats Werder Bremen 4-2 in Bundesliga

Jurgen Klopp (5thL), new global head of football at Red Bull, arrives next to Saxony's State Premier Michael Kretschmer (R) prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)
Jurgen Klopp (5thL), new global head of football at Red Bull, arrives next to Saxony's State Premier Michael Kretschmer (R) prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)

Jürgen Klopp watched with a broad smile as Leipzig defeated Werder Bremen 4-2 to reclaim fourth place in the Bundesliga on Sunday, The Associated Press reported.
Klopp, the former Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz coach, took over his new duties as Red Bull’s head of global soccer on Jan. 1 and he took the first opportunity to see the energy drinks manufacturer’s German representative in competitive action.
Klopp can have had few complaints as he watched the 21-year-old Xavi Simons open the scoring and then cancel Mitchell Weiser’s response, before Benjamin Šeško, also 21, made it 3-1 with a brilliant strike from distance after the break.
Both Xavi and Šeško fit the profile of highly talented young players that Klopp will be expected to develop and attract to the growing Red Bull stable of clubs.
Leipzig substitute Christoph Baumgartner scored in the final minute before Bremen's Oliver Burke scored in stoppage time.
Klopp was in Paris on Saturday to see second-tier Paris FC beat Amiens 1-0. Among his tasks there is turning the club into one of France’s best under the ownership of the country’s richest family, the Arnaults of luxury empire LVMH. The family’s takeover of the second-tier club includes bringing Red Bull on board as a minority stakeholder.
Leipzig has struggled so far this season, losing all its games in the Champions League and dropping points in seven of its 16 games in the Bundesliga.
Stuttgart, last season’s runner-up, was playing at Augsburg later to conclude the round.



Sabalenka Beats Stephens to Begin Bid for 3rd Australian Open Title

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus (L) shakes hands at the net with Sloane Stephens of USA after winning the Women's Singles first round match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 12 January 2025. EPA/LUKAS COCH
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus (L) shakes hands at the net with Sloane Stephens of USA after winning the Women's Singles first round match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 12 January 2025. EPA/LUKAS COCH
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Sabalenka Beats Stephens to Begin Bid for 3rd Australian Open Title

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus (L) shakes hands at the net with Sloane Stephens of USA after winning the Women's Singles first round match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 12 January 2025. EPA/LUKAS COCH
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus (L) shakes hands at the net with Sloane Stephens of USA after winning the Women's Singles first round match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 12 January 2025. EPA/LUKAS COCH

Aryna Sabalenka began her bid to become the first woman in a quarter-century to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, eliminating 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday night in just 71 minutes.

Sabalenka is seeded No. 1 at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time and while she was not perfect in this first-round match — “Not like I played my best, probably,” she said — it was plenty good, The Associated Press reported.

As big a server as there is in women's tennis, Sabalenka did not hit her first ace until the match's 15th game and finished with only two.

She won her first major championship at Melbourne Park in 2023, then added another last January, before raising her total to three Slam trophies at the US Open in September.

The last woman to win the Australian Open three years in a row was Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.

“I am super happy to be back,” Sabalenka said. “I love this place.”
In the second round, Sabalenka will take on Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, who upset reigning champion Marketa Vondrousova at Wimbledon in 2024.