Most of the first half’s notable action came inside the opening 30 minutes, with Ridle Baku arguably enjoying the two best chances.
With just 13 minutes on the clock, he made a superb touch at the end of a precise pass inside the box, but Moritz Nicolas read the danger well and managed to save the effort. And on 28’, he did the hard part by side-stepping a challenge and making space, but could only blaze over the bar from a promising position.
Between those flashpoints, Joe Scally saw what looked like a good cross snuffed out by an alert Leipzig backline, before Rocco Reitz was left exasperated, as his shot from distance cannoned off a white shirt.
From there, the game was largely stop-start up to half-time, with Gladbach perhaps feeling the happier of the two sides to go in goalless, having never previously won at this venue.
The same pattern persisted after half-time, with Leipzig’s full-backs looking particularly menacing, but Gladbach’s backline handling the pressure well.
And the visitors’ defensive discipline almost paid off with 20 minutes to go, when Haris Tabakovic only narrowly missed the mark at the end of a promising cross.
That said, the Leipzig overlap continued to be the biggest influence on this game’s dynamics, and David Raum managed to work his way into the area, only for Nicolas to again come to Gladbach’s rescue.
Next, it was Xaver Schlager’s turn to curse the heavens, as – after Tabakovic was dispossessed in the area – some blistering interplay allowed Baku to square the ball for the Austrian, but he couldn’t get past the immovable Nicolas, who saved low to ramp up the frustrations.
However, Yan Diomande finally broke Gladbach’s resistance 10 minutes from time, with a break forward seeing Christoph Baumgartner slide the teenage sensation through on goal, and Diomande smashed the ball home viciously inside the post – his 11th goal of a breakout campaign.
For their part, Gladbach hadn’t shown much to suggest they’d snatch a point after going behind – but that they nearly did, when Fabio Chiarodia could only hit the crossbar with the goal almost at his mercy in a rare defensive lapse from Leipzig.
A hurried clearance reminded all in attendance that there was no room for complacency, but Leipzig managed to compose themselves and hold out for a victory that keeps them in pole position for a UEFA Champions League spot next term.