Leipzig (AP) – Even a possible victory against Arminia Bielefeld cannot polish up RB Leipzig’s worst first round record in Bundesliga history. After the ups and downs in 2021, the team of new coach Domenico Tedesco is aiming for at least one conciliatory conclusion this Saturday (3.30 p.m. / Sky) against the penultimate in the table, in order to be able to sit with a little serenity under the Christmas tree. Because even Tedesco could not improve the pathetic away record with zero victories last time at 1-1 in Augsburg.
The runner-up cannot afford another setback. With only 22 points after 16 games – the weakest Bundesliga record in the club’s history – the gap to the Champions League places in ninth place is five points. In the preseason, RB had ten points more than runner-up at this point. Even 20 goals from the once best defense in the league are meager. “It is important for us as a team and for the fans that we close the year properly,” said Willi Orban, who is concerned about stability.
The model professional, who was once only the second choice behind Dayot Upamecano (Bayern) and Ibrahim Konaté (Liverpool), is symbolic of the qualitative bloodletting of the RB defensive after the sell-out in the summer. Even if the newcomers Josko Gvardiol and Mohamed Simakan are undoubtedly an asset, stability can hardly be expected at a young age. In addition, there were the injuries of the German national players Lukas Klostermann and Marcel Halstenberg – even ex-national player Benjamin Henrichs could not make up for that in any phase.
The next construction site remains the attack, for which Timo Werner has still not found a real successor. The fact that the injured RB record player Yussuf Poulsen is considered to be the bearer of hope for the second half of the season does not speak for the newcomers André Silva and Brian Brobbey after the incorrect purchases by Alexander Sörloth and Hee-Chan Hwang (both on loan). The tendency for the Portuguese, who scored 28 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt in the previous season, is clearly upwards. But only five Bundesliga goals (including a penalty) in 16 games are not his claim.
This leaves a thin balance before the Christmas break. After the runner-up, the mass migration to FC Bayern with coach Julian Nagelsmann was permitted thanks to a transfer fee of 25 million euros. “I will not rent a T6 now to take more players with me,” said Nagelsmann at Servus from Leipzig. A few weeks later he did need the minibus. In addition to RB captain Marcel Sabitzer, three assistant coaches and psychologist Maximilian Pelka also migrated to Säbener Straße.
That came across bitterly with the sympathetic US coach Jesse Marsch. “It was a shame when Max left in the summer. He said it was a private reason and that he needed family time. And three weeks later he is with Bayern Munich », criticized Marsch, who was literally lonely after the vacancy of the sports director after the departure of Markus Krösche.
The athletic receipt followed promptly. After ten players played at the European Championships and Dani Olmo (now injured) and Henrichs were at the Olympics in Tokyo, Marsch hardly had time to prepare with the entire team. No wonder that Christopher Nkunku, who stayed at Cottaweg and is still waiting for Didier Deschamps’ invitation for Les Bleus, is currently the outstanding player at RB.