Antonio Nusa leads RB Leipzig's opening-day win over Borussia Mönchengladbach

RB Leipzig finished with 3.96 xG and a 3-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, so the scoreline never felt inflated. The standout moment came from Antonio Nusa, whose 49th-minute strike from 17 metres curled into the top corner and put real distance between the sides. In Martín Demichelis' first Bundesliga game in charge, Leipzig's attack looked live from the start and deeper once Christopher Nkunku came on.

Nusa set the tone after Leipzig had already taken control

The game had already swung Leipzig's way before Nusa produced the finish everyone will remember. Ridle Baku opened the scoring in the 26th minute, giving the home side a platform, and Nusa took over after the break with the second goal.

Bundesliga.com's match report summed up his night neatly: "Nusa scored a superb curling second goal and was denied by a string of Nicolas saves, finishing with several attempts on goal." That fits both the eye test and the numbers. Nusa posted a 7.6 match rating, the best individual figure available from the game, and the fans voted him Man of the Match with 30 percent of the overall vote.

That fan vote can sometimes lean toward the goalscorer with the flashiest moment, but this one looked deserved. Nusa was not just tidy or efficient. He was the attacker Gladbach had the most trouble containing once Leipzig started breaking into space.

Leipzig's chance quality tells the same story on a team level. They generated 3.96 xG, while Gladbach were held to 1.02. That gap points to a game in which Leipzig created the better chances for much of the afternoon, not one decided by a couple of low-percentage finishes.

There was pace in the side too, which helped stretch the game. Tidiam Gomis hit 35.48 km/h, and that sort of speed matters when a team is trying to turn regains into attacks before the opposition can reset. Demichelis will not want to read too much into one afternoon, but he did get an early sign that this front line can threaten in different ways.

Nkunku's return added another layer

Nusa was the main story, but Nkunku's contribution gave Leipzig something extra. Introduced for his second Leipzig debut after replacing Gomis, he wasted little time affecting the game.

Bundesliga.com reported: "Nkunku, on for his second Leipzig debut after replacing Gomis, set up Reitz in the 66th minute, and the former Gladbach midfielder drilled home from 12 metres to extend the hosts' advantage." Rocco Reitz applied the finish, but the bigger detail for Leipzig is that Nkunku came in and immediately provided a final ball.

That does not mean his return alone drove the result, because Leipzig were already in control by then. It does suggest the attack can become less predictable when he is available. A side that already had Nusa carrying the biggest threat and Baku on the scoresheet suddenly had another creator joining in from the bench.

The shape of the match also left room for even more. Hugo Bolin had a stoppage-time goal ruled out for offside by VAR, which would have pushed the margin beyond three. Instead, the verified result from RB Leipzig vs Borussia Mönchengladbach stays at 3-0, and it was emphatic enough.

Demichelis got the kind of first league game he would have wanted

Managers rarely get a cleaner first Bundesliga outing than this. Demichelis saw Leipzig score in both halves, limit Gladbach to 1.02 xG, and get production from both a young starter and a returning attacker off the bench.

The biggest positive was probably how connected the attack looked straight away. Baku gave them the first goal, Nusa delivered the best individual moment of the match, and Nkunku arrived to set up Reitz. Those are different routes to goal in the same game, and Leipzig did not need to force any one pattern.

Nusa will take the attention because great goals always do, and because he backed his finish up with a stream of threat across the match. But the broader takeaway is strong for Leipzig as a whole. They beat Gladbach 3-0, posted 3.96 xG, and opened Demichelis' Bundesliga run with an attack that already looks dangerous.