Last group game in the Champions League: RB Leipzig take on Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday evening with a slide rule in their heads. A point is needed, but it should be played to win.
For Leipzig, everything is possible on Wednesday, from winning the group to falling into the Europa League. For the desired goal of the Champions League round of 16, there must be at least a draw against Donetsk, while the Ukrainian competitor must win.
The game has a final character for both of them. And RB worked hard after the weak start to the season. “Since then we’ve had three finals, now the fourth is coming. Why shouldn’t it work again?” asked Timo Werner. His goalscoring qualities are in demand so that in Warsaw, where the Russian war in Ukraine has to be played, there will be no shaky game. Accordingly, the stipulation of coach Marco Rose: “We play to win. It was never smart to go for a draw.”
Amadou Haidara is probably out
When it came to staff, the RB coach had good and bad news. Accordingly, striker Yussuf Poulsen will continue to be absent due to calf problems. There is also a big question mark over midfielder Amadou Haidara, who had to abandon the last training session in Leipzig on Tuesday. “He flew anyway,” said Rose, “but the likelihood is low that he will play.”
Blaswich back between the RBL posts
Janis Blaswich, on the other hand, can return to the goal because of calf problems against Bayer Leverkusen (2:0) had paused. This return is also urgently needed because Blaswich’s representative Örjan Nyland is not registered for the group games of the Champions League. Mohamed Simakan, who was injured after the Leverkusen game, was also given the green light shortly before departure.
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