After two defeats in the DFB Cup and Bundesliga, RB Leipzig is finally heading back to the Champions League: the round of 16 could be made early on Tuesday. But RB is expecting a hot game in a very special atmosphere. In addition, an attacker is missing and the use of another offensive player is unclear.
The fans and the cauldron in Belgrade. The atmosphere in the Red Star stadium seemed almost more important at this press conference than the actual game. RB Leipzig can make it to the round of 16 in the Serbian capital on Tuesday (November 7th, 2023, 9 p.m., live ticker and can be heard completely live on the SpiO app and at sport-im-osten.de) – if the team Coach Marco Rose passed the stress test in the Rajko Mitic Stadium.
Rose: “Keep a cool head in wild moments”
“We have to keep a cool head in wild moments,” said Leipzig coach Rose, looking at the game. He knows: “The atmosphere will be special. The fans live Red Star, suffer with it, share the excitement. We have to be on our guard, have to accept the fight, have to accept the game.” Defender David Raum also knows that RB has to come into play through running and fighting virtues. “We have the ambition to get to the next round. We have the quality. If we accept the fight, nothing will stand in the way,” said the defensive man, who became a regular this season and is in the First leg against Belgrade (3:1) rewarded with a goal.
Celebrations in the first leg: David Raum (center) made it 1-0.
Timo Werner “is sick” – Poulsen injured
RB can already secure their early place in the round of 16 with a win and Young Boys Bern’s simultaneous defeat at Manchester City. However, Leipzig striker Timo Werner will be missing. The 27-year-old did not start at the final training session on Monday evening. “He’s sick,” Rose later explained. “So sick he can’t play.” According to Rose, it is also unclear the use of offensive engine Yussuf Poulsen, who “tweaked his adductors,” according to Rose. The Dane only trained individually on Monday. “We’ll just have to decide tomorrow what makes sense.”
Missing in Belgrade: Timo Werner
Belgrade with wall tactics
In any case, it makes sense to prepare for a Belgrade team that is defensively tight. Red Star coach Barak Bakhar has already revealed this much: “We have seen that Leipzig has difficulties when the opponent is compact at the back. In the first leg we conceded the goal too early,” said the 44-year-old. Belgrade’s Israeli coach will probably not play the possession football that is common in the domestic league against RB. Rose also knows that: “We have to rely heavily on counterattack avoidance,” said the 47-year-old.
Belgrade coach Bakhar: “Most important game”
The Belgrade dilemma: Red Star desperately needs a win to maintain its chances of surviving in European competition. Bakhar said during the first leg in Leipzig that the second leg was “the most important game of the competition.” Rose concludes: “Accordingly, with their fans behind them, they will have to be very brave at times.”
RBL coach Rose (left) and Belgrade coach Bakhar (right).
Only 45,000 instead of 55,000 fans there
“On paper, Leipzig may be the favorite, but anything can happen in our stadium and with these fans,” says Belgrade coach Bakhar, relying on the 45,000 in the “Marakana of Belgrade”, as the stadium is based on the legendary “Estadio do Maracana”. in Rio de Janeiro is also called. Normally around 55,000 supporters are allowed into the stadium for international games, but UEFA punished Belgrade by blocking 10,000 seats because of some riots.
Around 45,000 spectators will transform this stadium into a cauldron on Tuesday evening.
Second behind Partizan – nerves are on edge
For Bakhar, a win against Leipzig would also be extremely important personally: the coach is not without controversy at the capital club. In the championship, Red Star is already six points behind hated local rivals Partizan Belgrade. When Red Star only played 1-1 against third-placed FK Backa Topola the previous week, Red Star fans broke into the team locker room and confronted players and coaches. A few days later, fans personally handed each player and the coach a letter calling for “more fire and heart,” as Coach Bakhar later recounted. There is actually a very special atmosphere that prevails at Red Star Belgrade.
The Red Star Belgrade team is under pressure.
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Dirk Hofmeister
