It starts again at 0-0: RB Leipzig will play the second leg of the Champions League in Manchester on Tuesday evening. After the 1-1 in the first leg, on Tuesday evening (03/14/2023 here in the audio live stream and in the ticker) a victory ago – and this would be a surprise.
“The right balance, a lot of trust, courage – and our best game of the season would also go quite well” – Marco Rose knows exactly what his players need or have to call up to clear the gigantic hurdle called Manchester City on Tuesday skip and move into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Dangerous dominance
With said balance, the RB coach meant the relationship between offensive and defensive: “If we only press, we will open up space. If we just stand in the back, it will ring at some point,” explained Rose. The question is also what the opponent allows.
Pep Guardiola made it clear on Monday: “We have to force our game on them.” With the statement, the 52-year-old is reminiscent of the first half of the first leg, when ManCity made Leipzig look really bad with 76 percent ball possession. The English will want to build up this dominance again, but this time probably well into the second half.
Norwegian danger
Whether RB manages to surprise will also depend on whether Manchester’s star striker Erling Haaland can be taken out of the game – like three weeks ago. Marco Rose knows how difficult this undertaking is. “Everyone knows Erling’s quality, we were able to defend it well in the first leg. But you can never completely neutralize him. We have to absorb everything as a team.” And ManCity have “not only Erling, but also a lot of world class around it”.
Rose: “I’ll take him!”
Haaland has already scored 34 goals in 35 competitive games, including 28 goals in 26 Premier League appearances this season. Hard to believe, but despite these numbers, the Norwegian giant is being discussed on the island. Also from Coach Guardiola. He doesn’t like it when a player just stands in the box “to score goals,” said the Spaniard. Haaland must be more “involved in the game and active”.
RB coach Marco Rose understands the whole thing, his own thin offensive squad certainly plays a role, not at all. His appeal, expressed with a smile: “If you don’t want it, send it to me. I’ll take it! Even for the last ten games. After that you can have it back.”
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dpa/sid/sk
