Leipzig beat Sporting for first Champions League win

Sporting's hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stage suffered a blow as they were beaten by already-eliminated RB Leipzig in Germany.

Benjamin Sesko scored the opening goal as Leipzig picked up their first win in the league phase after losing their first six matches to exit the competition before Christmas.

Viktor Gyokeres came off the bench to net his 34th goal of the season and equalise for Sporting in the second half, but Yussuf Poulsen bundled home the winner less than three minutes later.

Sporting were unbeaten in their opening four league-phase matches and could have moved into the top eight with a win in Leipzig.

But a third successive European defeat leaves the Portuguese side having to fight to even secure a play-off spot in the final matchday later this month.

Sesko scored after 20 minutes with the first major chance of the game, sliding the ball home from three yards following a fine Leipzig move and David Raum's low cross from the left.

Raum appeared to have made it 2-0 12 minutes later with a powerful finish from the edge of the box, but it was disallowed following a video assistant referee (VAR) review as Lois Openda had interfered with a defender during the build-up while in an offside position.

Gyokeres, whose superb club form has led to him being linked with a move to the Premier League, pulled Sporting level with a driving run through the defence before slamming the ball into the roof of the net.

But Leipzig found the winner in the 79th minute when Poulsen scrambled the ball home from close range.

Victory means Leipzig avoid becoming the first German side to lose seven successive Champions League matches since Bayer Leverkusen in 2002-03.

But it is a damaging defeat for Sporting manager Rui Borges, the third coach to lead the Lisbon side in Europe this season following Ruben Amorim and Joao Pereira.