Tuesday evening, floodlights, semi-finals in the DFB Cup and two opponents who faced each other in the final last year: RB Leipzig and SC Freiburg are facing a game with a lot of “wow potential”.
RB Leipzig travels to Freiburg with an almost full band for the cup game on Tuesday (here in the live ticker from 8:45 p.m.). “There are no major injuries, everyone got through well,” coach Marco Rose summarized the personnel situation after the 1-0 win against Hoffenheim together. Only the long-term failures Peter Gulacsi and Xaver Schlager are not operational.
Nkunku and Olmo duet
When it came to the line-up, the RB coach naturally didn’t let himself be looked at. However, one comment (“We will play with an eleven that has not been together very often this season.”) suggests that RB will finally play together again with Christopher Nkunku and Dani Olmo, a rare constellation due to various injuries Marco Rose has been looking forward to it for some time.
Against Hoffenheim, Nkunku, who has recovered from a torn muscle fiber, was not only in the starting XI but also scored again. After almost six months. Incidentally, he had scored his last goal up to that point against Freiburg. Anyway, Nkunku’s return and finishing power could give RB a little more ease or even efficiency again. “That would be cool,” agrees Rose. And if not? “Then we just have to scratch, bite, spit. And close wins like against Hoffenheim.”
RBL memories from last year
There have been a total of 16 duels between Freiburg (four wins) and RB (eight wins), most of which were emotional and crisp. Especially the cup final last year had it with a dismissal, a Leipziger Outnumbered players to catch up and a final penalty shoot-out in itself.
For Marco Rose, however, the number does not have a major impact on Tuesday evening: “I think it was too long ago. And I celebrated youth consecration with my daughter. If the boys can remember it and use it for themselves, then I’m happy. But there are a few in Freiburg who say: ‘We still have an unpaid bill.’ It’s also a motivation for them.”
trust instead of fear
Trust, emotionality and, in Freiburg, intensity – these are the most important ingredients for a successful evening for RB coach Rose, which is only supposed to be the prelude to the final in Berlin: “It is important that we are clear and stay with ourselves, that we don’t let ourselves drift, that we believe in ourselves. All the things that are important for a healthy arc of tension in a cup semi-final like this.”
Fear, on the other hand, is on the index. Even those in front of the standards, which are a real specialty at SC Freiburg. Last but not least, they have the previous cup games of the Breisgauer shown. “We know what’s coming,” emphasizes Marco Rose with a lot of optimism: “Zicko (Alexander Zickler; ed.) makes excellent standard sessions. He always prepares the boys well. We are now offensive in this area and very good defensively.”
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Sven Kups
