The Weekly Take, Issue 376: The Implosion Hits a New Depth

Last season, RB Leipzig finished seventh in the Bundesliga. It was Die Bullen's worst-ever league finish ever since earning promotion to Germany's top flight in 2017. This also meant that the 2025-26 season would be the first time since their Bundesliga debut season in 2017-18 that Leipzig would not be featuring in any continental-level tournament. On top of that, Leipzig finished a lowly 32nd of the 36 teams in last season's Champions League and lost all but one of their league phase matches.

Any thoughts that the Saxony-based club might turn things around this season were rapidly put on hold as the curtain-raiser of this Bundesliga season between Bayern Munich and Leipzig played out. To say that Bayern took Leipzig to the woodshed would be a severe understatement. This wasn't even remotely close as Bayern destroyed Leipzig 6-0 at the Allianz Arena - a result that not only sent out a clear statement to the rest of the Bundesliga that it would be a near-impossible task to unseat the reigning league champions, but also that Leipzig continue to be in freefall and have just hit a new low point.

Bayern had the match in the bag before the half-time break. Michael Olise's two first-half goals were split by another from new signing Luis Díaz who signed for Bayern from Liverpool in the off-season for €70 million. Díaz was set up by Serge Gnabry who also assisted Olise's second goal.

Early in the second half, Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa who had entered the match as a replacement for Yan Diomande during the interval took advantage of an error by Bayern centre-back Dayot Upamecano; however, Nusa's ensuing shot attempt went just wide. Later on, Nusa would have a goal waved off via VAR; these instances would be as close as Leipzig would get.

Then, about midway through the second half, reigning Bundesliga Player of the Season Harry Kane backed up that title with a hat-trick in a frenetic 14-minute span. Leipzig had absolutely no answer whatsoever for the Englishman who could very well be on his way to submitting another season worthy of a Ballon d'Or candidate - especially if England make a deep run at the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

As for Leipzig, it's difficult to say anything other than this result is likely a sign of things to come. During this past off-season, Leipzig spent €92 million on new signings; however, none of them are likely to make any significant impact. Additionally, Leipzig lost striker Benjamin Šeško to Manchester United.

This past off-season should've been one during which Leipzig overhauled their squad. Much of their decline last season was the result of the inadequate replacement of key players' departures as well as several current players now being past their prime. As a result, this current squad is now likely to finish nowhere near the Champions League qualification spots unless a stunning turnaround takes place.

On the surface, it does appear that Leipzig have taken note of the fact that players such as Péter Gulácsi, Willi Orbán, and Kevin Kampl, among others, are now clearly past their prime; all six players signed by Leipzig are aged 23 or younger. While this seems to be a step in the right direction, the reality is that it was "quantity over quality". Not one of the youngsters who just joined Leipzig are elite prospects expected to become a genuinely top-tier player.

Not long ago, Leipzig were viewed by many as the club with the best chance, remote as it may have been, of toppling Bayern. However, when the headliner of a so-called top club's arrivals is Rômulo from Göztepe - a mid-table Turkish Süper Lig club - it's obvious that the club has fallen a long way from where it was.

Leipzig hired Ole Werner as the club's new head coach during the off-season - their sixth in just five years. This instability in the dugout is certainly not helping the situation. Ever since the departure of Julian Nagelsmann in 2021 and the death of former owner Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022, Leipzig have been increasingly directionless - and now it all seems to be coming to a head.

RB Leipzig are now a shell of the team they were even just two years ago, let alone five. Unless something seriously changes soon, their chances of even finishing in the top 10 of the Bundesliga are highly unlikely.

The Weekly Take, Issue 341: The Whole Thing Is Coming Apart

It’s fair to say that RB Leipzig haven’t had the easiest of seasons thus far. To the astonishment of almost everyone, the Saxony-based club have lost all six of their Champions League matches so far and have already been eliminated from the tournament with two matchdays remaining. On the domestic front, meanwhile, Die Bullen continue to be locked in a battle for qualification for next season’s Champions League but have recently seen a sharp decline in form.

Leipzig’s quest to secure a Champions League berth for a sixth consecutive season faced its toughest test to date when they travelled to the Allianz Arena to face off against league leaders Bayern Munich. Leipzig’s slump ended up deepening as they were taken apart in a crushing 5-1 loss. Both teams scored within the first two minutes of the match - Jamal Musiala for Bayern, Benjamin Šeško for Leipzig - but after that, it was all one-way traffic.

Bayern would take a 3-1 lead into the half-time break following further goals scored by Konrad Laimer and Joshua Kimmich. Two more goals in a three-minute span after the break would follow - Alphonso Davies set up Leroy Sané who scored Bayern’s fourth before the Canadian full-back went from provider to finisher, adding the Bavarian club’s fifth goal to complete the dominant, one-sided victory.

After a strong start to their Bundesliga season, Leipzig have fallen off dramatically in recent weeks. This loss against Bayern was their second by a 5-1 scoreline in their last four league matches. In the 11 matches in all competitions that Leipzig have played since the beginning of November, they have won just three and drawn one; the rest were all losses. There can be little doubt that the mid-season break will be readily welcomed by everyone at Leipzig for the opportunity it gives them to reset heading into the second half of the season.

The main issue that’s been plaguing Leipzig over their protracted slump has to be their defense. Across the 11-match span mentioned earlier, Leipzig have conceded 24 goals. That’s a figure which when prorated across a 34-match Bundesliga season equates to 74 conceded - a figure which last season would have ranked joint third-last in the entire league. Thus far, the likes of Castello Lukeba, Lukas Klostermann, and new signing Lutsharel Geertruida have simply not been up to the mark this season. On too many occasions they have left opponents with too much of a window to create a viable goalscoring opportunity, struggled to defend set pieces, and been outplayed in many one-on-one situations - often, even those in which they had the positional upper hand at first. Without any question, this cannot continue if Leipzig are to make a serious push for a spot in next season’s Champions League.

As of right now, Leipzig’s away form has to be particularly concerning. This most recent loss to Bayern means that Leipzig have now lost five of their last six away matches - a recent victory over Holstein Kiel which snapped a road losing streak of four being the sole exception. It’s a complete reversal of what they looked like in away matches earlier in the season; the struggles of Marco Rose’s team on the road could very well end up derailing their season.

In the upcoming January transfer window, it’s imperative that Leipzig bring in the necessary reinforcements. Not one of their off-season acquisitions has moved the needle in any appreciable manner; Xavi Simons doesn’t really count as he was already at Red Bull Arena on loan from Paris Saint-Germain last season and has returned under the same terms. As has been mentioned, shoring up the defense needs to be a priority. It might also be worthwhile for Leipzig to pursue signing a central midfielder - another position where they currently lack a player who’s been performing at the level needed for them to give them that push which will help them take a step closer to ending their slump.

By no means is RB Leipzig’s season a done deal; there’s more than enough time for them to turn it around. However, they have to use the mid-season break as an opportunity to regroup and recalibrate while also getting the best out of the January transfer window. It’s a near certainty that the first month or so after the interval will make or break Leipzig’s season.

The Weekly Take, Issue 298: A Down Year Was Expected - But Not Like This

RB Leipzig dropped crucial points in their pursuit of the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot from the Bundesliga after succumbing to a 2-1 away loss to Bayern Munich. Shortly after half-time, Harry Kane opened the scoring for Bayern. Despite having fewer chances throughout, Leipzig equalized in the 70th minute through Benjamin Šeško. Leipzig, however, were unable to hang on to a share of the points following Kane's stoppage-time winning goal that snapped Bayern's three-match losing streak in all competitions.

Ever since the resumption of play following the Bundesliga's mid-season break, Leipzig's form has been rather questionable. Die Bullen have dropped cheap points on multiple occasions and have now lost five of their last eight matches. This has caused the Saxony club to slip out of an all-important top-four spot; they're now in genuine danger of failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 2017-18 season when they finished sixth in the league.

This season had always been expected to be something of a transitional year for Leipzig. The off-season departures of Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea, Dominik Szoboszlai to Liverpool, and Joško Gvardiol to Manchester City for an eye-popping cumulative fee of €225 million. Funded by these as well as other departures, Leipzig put their newfound windfall to work. Over the off-season, Leipzig spent €157 million on seven different players; they also added a player via free transfer and two more on loan deals - most notably, Dutch rising star Xavi Simons who was acquired on a temporary basis from Paris Saint-Germain.

However, things haven't quite gone according to plan as far as Leipzig's new signings are concerned. Only Simons, Loïs Openda, and Castello Lukeba have even been able to establish themselves as regular starters at all; on top of that, Lukeba has looked rather unimpressive in his starting role. While it's true that at 21, the French centre-back still has room to grow, don't be surprised if he's primarily confined to the bench as soon as the commencement of next season - or perhaps even before. Even Leipzig's sole mid-season signing, North Macedonian midfielder Eljif Elmas, has barely made any impact thus far.

It does somewhat feel as though Leipzig are losing their touch with regard to transfers. In past years, Leipzig had always been one of Europe's more savvy teams in the transfer window and had deservedly gained a reputation as such - but that may soon begin to erode if it hasn't already. One could certainly make the case that Leipzig's failures across both transfer windows have been the primary cause of their struggles this season.

At times, Leipzig do seem as though they are starting to become over-reliant on Simons. At just 20, Simons is already clearly the club's best player despite only being there on a loan deal. As great as he has been, he's not yet at the level when one can reasonably expect him to be in peak form almost every single week. It's not unreasonable to claim that Simons will be a future Ballon d'Or candidate - but at this point, when he has below-par performances like that against Bayern, the rest of Leipzig's roster just have not stepped up.

Outside of their front four, one has to question the general fit of Leipzig's roster in totality. This is far from the cohesive unit which Leipzig have brought out in recent years. Depth-wise, not even their bench honestly is much to get excited over right now either. Couple that with the occasional inconsistency from the likes of Šeško and Dani Olmo and it's perfectly understandable why Leipzig have not lived up to expectations in either domestic or continental play.

Leipzig's next four league matches will be critical for their top-four hopes. In consecutive matchdays, they play against the four teams which currently make up the bottom four in the league: VfL Bochum, Darmstadt, Köln, and Mainz. On paper, one would expect Leipzig to go four for four. However, such has been the decline in Leipzig's form, particularly since the break, that this actually seems like a somewhat unlikely scenario.

Of course, it's important to remember that RB Leipzig are still just one point outside the Champions League qualification spots. It would be foolhardy to write them off even at this point - but based on how Leipzig are currently trending, it's safe to say that the signs do not look good right now.

The Weekly Take, Issue 271: A Near-Total Overhaul - But for What Return?

The standout fixture of this season's opening matchday of the Bundesliga saw Bayer Leverkusen host RB Leipzig. Heading into this season, both teams were generally deemed to be among the primary threats to end Bayern Munich's unprecedented 11-year reign as Bundesliga champions.

Leverkusen got off to a hot start, scoring two goals in an 11-minute first-half span. Jeremie Frimpong and Jonathan Tah put Leverkusen 2-0 ahead. However, just four minutes after Tah's goal, Dani Olmo pulled one back for Die Bullen. After half-time, Leverkusen's rising star Florian Wirtz restored their two-goal advantage before Loïs Openda added another to Leipzig's column. In the closing stages of the match, Openda had a golden opportunity to secure Leipzig a share of the points, but the Belgian striker somehow managed to hit the post with an open-goal tap-in.

Though this was just the first match of the season, it could nevertheless be regarded as something of a reality check for Leipzig. This was an off-season of major upheaval at the Saxony club. During the recent transfer window, Leipzig sold Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea, Dominik Szoboszlai to Liverpool, and Joško Gvardiol to Manchester City. The sales of these three players earned the club a total of €220 million. Other notable players to have recently left the Red Bull Arena include André Silva on loan to Real Sociedad, Alexander Sørloth on loan to Villarreal, and Marcel Halstenberg to Hannover 96.

Leipzig wasted absolutely no time at all in their rebuild. This same off-season, they signed seven players at a cumulative cost of €161 million and added two more on loan, one of whom was the highly-regarded Dutch midfielder Xavi Simons who is regarded as a young prospect with a tremendously high ceiling. Other acquisitions such as Openda and Austrian duo Nicolas Seiwald and Christoph Baumgartner added depth to what was beginning to look like a possible sleeper pick to win a first-ever league title in the event of a Bayern slump, similar to last season's scenario but in which no club took full advantage. Leipzig's recent 3-0 victory over Bayern in the DFL-Supercup appeared to confirm their status as such.

However, Leipzig's loss to begin their Bundesliga campaign highlighted that in spite of their many additions, this is still a flawed team. All three goals which Leipzig conceded have one thing in common: they all came off passes from out wide. Leipzig's defensive capabilities on the wings have often come under scrutiny, particularly since head coach Marco Rose favours a rather unconventional 4-2-2-2 formation. This formation packs the centre of midfield and leaves relatively little wide coverage, thus often requiring one or more midfielders to head out wide to assist the full-backs. Leipzig's current personnel have not always been up to the task, and it showed against Leverkusen.

One possible issue which seemed obvious in this match but which may resolve itself over the course of the season is team chemistry. With so many new signings, questions about how long it would take for the team to gel were always going to arise. This lack of chemistry was evident throughout the match. Several times, Leipzig appeared rather disjointed and incohesive. Except for Openda, all of Leipzig's new signings on display turned in sub-par performances on their respective club debuts - unfamiliarity with Leipzig's tactics and system is likely to be the root cause.

In reality, Leipzig's Supercup victory over Bayern was somewhat misleading despite the lop-sided scoreline. Leipzig only had 32% of the possession and were outplayed for vast swathes of the match but came out on top with all three goals - a Dani Olmo hat-trick - coming against the run of play. Obviously, it would not be sustainable to depend on such outlier results to fuel a potential Bundesliga title run.

At this point, RB Leipzig have become one of world football's staple "almost but not quite" clubs. Despite having won back-to-back DFB-Pokal titles, finished in the top four in the Bundesliga in six of the past seven seasons, and made it to the Champions League semifinals in the 2019-20 season, Leipzig have never been able to take the final step, especially in the domestic league. It's still extremely early, but the signs at the moment do not appear promising.

The Weekly Take, Issue 258: A Sign of Things to Come?

The penultimate matchday of this season's Bundesliga saw 10-time reigning league champions Bayern Munich host RB Leipzig. A Bayern victory would all but certainly guarantee them a record-extending 11th consecutive league title. However, this was not to be the case as Leipzig came from behind to register a remarkable 3-1 victory.

Bayern scored first by way of Serge Gnabry and took this one-goal lead into the halftime break. After the interval, Konrad Laimer scored Leipzig's equalizer, adding additional intrigue to not only this match, but the title race as well. In the 76th minute, Leipzig took the lead after Christopher Nkunku scored from the penalty spot after earning the spot-kick. Four minutes before the end of regulation time, Dominik Szoboszlai clinched all three points for Die Bullen by converting a penalty of his own.

Leipzig's victory just about sank Bayern's hopes of winning the league once again. Bayern will now not only have to beat Köln on the final matchday in order to clinch the Bundesliga title; they will also have to do so while Borussia Dortmund do not beat Mainz. Any other permutation of results will cause Dortmund to win the Bundesliga for the first time since the 2011-12 season.

As for Leipzig, this latest victory adds another step forward in their strong finish to what had once seemed as though it would be a season full of struggle. Following an off-season transfer window which included several questionable decisions, Leipzig stumbled out of the gates. After seven league matchdays, the club from Saxony were in 12th place in the league, had lost their first two Champions League matches including a crushing 4-1 defeat at the hands of Shakhtar Donetsk, and had just fired head coach Domenico Tedesco; he was replaced by Marco Rose. It was certainly possible that Leipzig could have been heading for their worst season since their first promotion to the Bundesliga in 2016.

Slowly but surely, however, things began to change at the Red Bull Arena. With Rose in the dugout, the team gradually began to gel. The wins started to pile up and Leipzig embarked on their ascent of the league table. An undefeated streak of 12 league matches put Leipzig in fourth place in early February. Leipzig did not let up; they went on to reach the final of the DFB-Pokal with an impressive victory against Dortmund along the way. Leipzig have also won six of their last seven league matches and will finish the season in the top three of the league for the fifth time in the past seven seasons.

Although Leipzig will not win the Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history, they do have a golden opportunity to do so next season. Bayern are in their weakest and most vulnerable state in more than a decade. Dortmund, meanwhile, are likely to lose several players in the upcoming off-season including, most notably of all, Jude Bellingham. One of world football's most promising young talents, the English midfielder is widely expected to land a move to Real Madrid before the 2023-24 season begins. This is likely to leave a power vacuum at the top of the league - a vacuum into which Leipzig could easily step.

Leipzig have been linked with Real midfielder Dani Ceballos and Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun. While Ceballos is certainly no scrub, Balogun is by far the more intriguing prospect. Leipzig's leading goalscorer in the league this season is Nkunku with 14 goals; no other player has reached double figures. Almost a year ago, Leipzig made the critical error of letting Ademola Lookman leave for Atalanta for just €9 million; the Nigerian striker has since had a breakout season. However, Balogun appears due for a breakout season of his own. At just 21, the American is brimming with potential after an excellent season on loan at Reims. Balogun appears ready to make the step up to a major European league.

Despite early missteps, the energy surrounding RB Leipzig is completely different to that of the beginning of the season. They could now be just a few well-planned moves away from building something truly special. No club other than Bayern or Dortmund has won the Bundesliga since VfL Wolfsburg's stunning triumph in the 2008-09 season. It's certainly not out of the question that Leipzig could end this streak next season.

The Weekly Take, Issue 247: The Final Blow to Their Title Hopes?

This season's Bundesliga title race has been one for the ages. As many as six teams have at some point found themselves with a realistic chance to finish the season as champions of Germany. During this matchday, two of those teams faced off with Borussia Dortmund hosting RB Leipzig. Dortmund emerged with a 2-1 victory; it was their eighth consecutive league victory and provisionally took them to the top of the league pending Bayern Munich's later away match against VfB Stuttgart.

Dortmund opened the scoring around the midway point of the first half through a Marco Reus penalty. They would go on to enter the break with a 2-0 lead after Emre Can increased their lead in the 39th minute. In the second half, Leipzig would reduce the deficit with Emil Forsberg getting Die Bullen on the board, but they would not be able to score an equalizer after that.

Leipzig's loss might very well have ended any hope they may have had to win this season's Bundesliga. With just 11 matches left to be played, Leipzig are now seven points off the lead. While that might not necessarily sound like an excessive margin, so tight and hard-fought has the 2022-23 Bundesliga been that this gap could realistically be too much for the Saxony-based club to overcome.

At this point, the question is now "what could Leipzig have done differently this season?" One key area where Leipzig could certainly have done better has to be the off-season transfer window. David Raum and Timo Werner have not lived up to their transfer fees, while Abdou Diallo, a loan acquisition from Paris Saint-Germain, has been ravaged by injury all season long. Ironically, Senegalese centre-back Diallo was brought in as cover for the equally injury-prone Lukas Klostermann.

To make matters even worse, Leipzig sold or loaned out many players who would have likely been of great assistance in this final title run-in. The most notable of these has to be Ademola Lookman, who left the club for the astonishingly paltry fee of €9 million. The Nigerian striker is in the midst of a breakout season, having already notched 12 league goals in 23 Serie A matches. In one season, Lookman has almost matched his prior career tally of 16 goals in major European league play. Compounding this was the fact that Leipzig also lost a slew of capable players including Angeliño, Alexander Sørloth, Brian Brobbey, and Tyler Adams. In return for their many departures, Leipzig received a total of just over €74 million - well below the total value these players should have collectively fetched.

Of course, league titles are never solely won or lost in the boardroom. It can't be denied that several key Leipzig players simply have not lived up to expectations. Perhaps the most notable culprit is centre-back Joško Gvardiol. After an excellent World Cup in which he became one of the tournament's breakout stars, the Croatian has not yet adjusted to his newly heightened expectations. This, of course, does not discount the fact that World Cup fatigue could be taking its toll on him - but it's now been several months. For how much longer can we realistically give him a pass for that?

Adding to this point, players such as Raum, Mohamed Simakan, Marcel Halstenberg, and Kevin Kampl have all seen obvious declines when compared to their performances of last season. What makes this even more worrying is the fact that Raum, Simakan, and Halstenberg accompany Gvardiol in the backline. The numbers bear this fact out: after 23 league matches, Leipzig have conceded 29 goals, tying them for fourth-fewest with VfL Wolfsburg. Last season, however, Leipzig tied league champions Bayern for fewest goals conceded with 37.

Other matters which made things more difficult for Leipzig were the early-season firing of then-head coach Domenico Tedesco as well as the death of controversial club owner Dietrich Mateschitz. Though Leipzig's setup and methods of operation have always been a divisive topic across German football, the club had always been relatively stable internally - until now. Ever since entering the Bundesliga in 2016, this might be the furthest off the rails they have gone. Although by many metrics this has not been a bad season for Leipzig by any means, such is the nature of the Bundesliga this season that even just a few errors could torpedo a team's potential title bid - RB Leipzig might just have experienced this first-hand.

The Weekly Take, Issue 159: The Greatest Trophyless Run Ever Ends

This matchday saw all four major European domestic leagues wrap up. Atlético Madrid beat Valladolid to clinch their first La Liga title since 2014, while Inter Milan, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich all concluded victorious league campaigns of their own.

Amidst the final-day action, one match which was overlooked by many signalled the end of an era in two ways. RB Leipzig succumbed to a 2-1 loss to Union Berlin. Justin Kluivert's opener for Leipzig was cancelled out by a Marvin Friedrich goal. Max Kruse would later score Union's winning goal in stoppage time.

The match was Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann's last in charge of the Saxony club. One of the most accomplished young coaches in world football at just 33, Nagelsmann will leave Die Bullen and take over at Bayern on July 1.

Nagelsmann's departure from Leipzig also almost certainly put an end to what must be the greatest multi-year stretch without any silverware that there has ever been.

Since earning promotion to the Bundesliga in 2016, Leipzig have finished second and third in the league twice each. On two occasions, they lost in the final of the DFB-Pokal. Last season, they reached the Champions League semifinals before losing to Paris Saint-Germain.

Every other team to have put together a stretch at such a level won at least one trophy during it - except Leipzig. You could conceivably make a case for Tottenham 2014-19 or Napoli 2015-19, but for me, Leipzig takes the somewhat back-handed honour over both.

Leipzig's primary case over Tottenham lies in the fact that their league campaigns were dramatically more difficult. Bayern's complete domination of the Bundesliga has rendered almost every league season a race for second place. Tottenham, on the other hand, have not had to deal with such an adversary in the Premier League. Even more damningly, they only managed to finish third in the 2015-16 Premier League season - a title which they could easily have won if they hadn't lived up to the Tottenham stereotype and faltered down the stretch.

Like Leipzig, Napoli also had to deal with a domestic powerhouse; Juventus won the Serie A title in all four seasons of their trophyless run. They even came close to breaking Juve's Scudetto streak in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. However, their cup record fell well short of Leipzig's. During this run, Napoli neither advanced beyond the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia or the Champions League's round of 16 even once.

With Nagelsmann's departure, it would not be surprising to see Leipzig decline dramatically next season - they might even struggle to land a spot in European competition the season after. Nagelsmann is already regarded as the best coach in the Bundesliga and arguably among the top 10 in the world. If, as expected, he begins to rack up titles at Bayern, it won't be long before he will be regarded as one of the greatest coaches ever, especially if he brings another Champions League title to the Allianz Arena.

The question then becomes: what's next for Leipzig? Having already lost Timo Werner, the greatest player in the club's history, to Chelsea, Leipzig certainly find themselves in quite a bind heading into the coming off-season. Star power will be hard to come by - the city of Leipzig is not a glamorous, big-ticket destination. On top of that, Leipzig don't have any historical clout. Although they are owned by Red Bull, Leipzig's ability to spend money of players is still dwarfed by those of so many others.

The fact that centre-back Dayot Upamecano will leave for Bayern in July doesn't help matters at all. At just 22, Upamecano had perhaps the highest ceiling of all of Leipzig's young players. His departure for the club's biggest obstacle is a massive blow. A core of Angeliño, Marcel Sabitzer, Willi Orbán, Dani Olmo, and Emil Forsberg is simply not good enough to get it done.

There's no denying that for the past five years, Leipzig have clearly been punching above their weight. Unfortunately, it appears that the bubble has finally burst. After falling just short again and again, Leipzig's quest for a first piece of silverware in the club's history will likely continue for quite some time.

The Weekly Take, Issue 142: The Only Ones Who Can Stop Them

At the beginning of each new Bundesliga season, it often seems as though the main question is not about who will win the league title, but instead who will finish second behind Bayern Munich. This is perfectly understandable, given the fact that Bayern have claimed the title for the past eight seasons in a row.

However, it is not out of the question that for the first time since 2012, a new name could end up raising the trophy at the season's end. That team is RB Leipzig. In their most recent league match, Leipzig continued to apply pressure to league leaders Bayern by beating Union Berlin 1-0. Emil Forsberg scored the only goal of the match which saw Die Bullen remain within four points of Bayern.

Even though only half of the season has concluded, every challenger other than Leipzig has fallen by the wayside. Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Wolfsburg, Borussia Dortmund - all three are now too far behind Bayern to mount a serious title challenge. If any team is going to be the one to deny Bayern a ninth consecutive Bundesliga title this season, it would surely have to be Leipzig.

As has so often been the case in recent years, Leipzig's off-season went well. Their most notable signing was Spanish left-back Angeliño, brought in on loan from Manchester City. Remarkably, despite his position, Angeliño is the club's leading goalscorer this season as of this post. After years of either being consigned to City's reserves or being sent out on loan to a host of lesser clubs, he has had a breakout season and become one of the key pieces in Leipzig's title push. Perhaps the only full-backs in the Bundesliga who have been better than him this season have been Bayern duo Alphonso Davies and David Alaba.

Leipzig's front office deserves plaudits for their construction of this team. Despite not having any truly elite players, every piece that they have brought together fits perfectly. A team built around the likes of Angeliño, Dani Olmo, Dayot Upamecano, Marcel Sabitzer, and Nordi Mukiele does not, on paper, seem like one which would be making league title challenges and deep Champions League runs. However, this team's impressive chemistry and cohesion have allowed them to once again exceed expectations. On top of all of this, they do have a player with genuine superstar potential. Although Upamecano did not make the leap to that level as some had expected him to do this season, his ceiling remains sky-high. At just 22, there is no reason why the Frenchman cannot develop into one of the world's best centre-backs before too long.

Of course, the largest part of the credit for Leipzig's success must go to head coach Julian Nagelsmann. Nagelsmann has continued to build his reputation as one of the world's best coaches with another outstanding season. As has been the case in almost every season of his coaching career, Nagelsmann has Leipzig overachieving in relation to what had been expected of them. Despite reaching the semifinals of last season's Champions League, many expected them to be behind teams such as Dortmund, Leverkusen, and Borussia Mönchengladbach this season. While still unlikely, a league title this season would be by far the crowning achievement of a coaching career which has already seen remarkable success even in just a few short years.

All this being said, Leipzig still have to overcome the psychological effect which Bayern exert over all other Bundesliga contenders. Many teams over these past eight seasons have faltered after taking the lead or coming close to Bayern simply because of the mental block which Bayern's sheer dominance has imposed. On top of that, Bayern have the obvious advantage of having the best player on the planet in Robert Lewandowski, who has already scored an astonishing 22 league goals - almost double the tally of nearest competitors André Silva, Wout Weghorst, and Erling Haaland. Clearly, it's going to be an uphill task for Leipzig to unseat the Bavarians and claim a historic first league title.

Leipzig have finished in the top three in three of the last four Bundesliga seasons. However, over those three seasons, they ended the season behind Bayern by an average of 14 points. This season, though, the fact that they are just four points behind at the halfway point is encouraging. It will be difficult, but it could very well be possible.

The Weekly Take, Issue 131: Bouncing Back Immediately

The most recent Champions League matchday saw RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain square off in a rematch of last season's Champions League semifinal. This time around, Leipzig claimed their revenge over their Parisian opponents with a 2-1 victory. Emil Forsberg's penalty proved to be the difference between the two sides. That being said, PSG's attempt to equalize was hampered by two red cards: one issued to Idrissa Gueye and the second to Presnel Kimpembe. PSG also played without their full complement of players. Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, and Mauro Icardi all missed the match due to injuries.

With all of that being said, Leipzig deserve much credit for their performance. Considering that their prior result in the competition had been a crushing 5-0 loss at the hands of Manchester United, it would have been all too easy for Die Bullen to have folded against PSG and slumped to another defeat. Instead, the club from Saxony dug deep and demonstrated their resilience and guts on their way to an impressive win.

Apart from their disaster in Manchester, this season has thus far gone well for Leipzig. They are once again firmly in the Bundesliga title race. What's more, their victory against PSG left them well-positioned to advance to the next round of the Champions League while also putting a serious title contender in jeopardy of being eliminated after the group stage.

One encouraging sign for Leipzig lies in the fact that their win over PSG was not even predicated on the performances of multiple shrewd off-season signings. Leipzig signed up Hwang Hee-chan and Alexander Sørloth from Red Bull Salzburg and Crystal Palace respectively. They also picked up Angeliño and Justin Kluivert on loan deals. Thus, they experienced absolutely no problems as they compensated for the departure of Timo Werner to Chelsea. Once these new additions acquire more of a presence within the team, Leipzig will only improve. The fact that a combined total of just €29 million was spent to bring all four players to the Red Bull Arena is especially remarkable, given their actual quality of play.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann has also been continuing to prove himself as the best young coach in world football. I have sung his praises time and again, but it is true: even at this early stage of his coaching career, Nagelsmann is already one of the five best coaches in the world. He first worked wonders at Hoffenheim and has since enabled this Leipzig team to play at a level above their apparent level of talent. If Nagelsmann were to lead Leipzig to the club's first Champions League title this season, he would certainly be a part of the discussion as perhaps the best coach in the world. Although it once seemed likely that Nagelsmann would soon leave Leipzig for a more historic and iconic club, the signs now point to his remaining there for years to come.

Leipzig is a team which has been seamlessly put together. Despite never having had a true elite-level superstar on the team ever since they rose to the status of league title contenders, Leipzig have always been among the very best with regard to roster construction as well as player development. It is highly unlikely that players such as Forsberg, Werner, Dayot Upamecano, and Naby Keïta, among others, would have reached the heights which they attained if they had been at almost any other club. LeipIzig has clearly managed to get their front office, players, coaching staff, and everyone else involved with the club to truly buy into the system. As a result, they are now one of the best-run clubs on the planet. For all that can be said about how Red Bull took over the club, it can't be denied that they have since done incredible things there.

Despite their ultra-corporate exterior, Leipzig are a shining example of a club which have done things "the right way". A first Bundesliga or perhaps even Champions League title would be a just reward for the excellent culture which has been built at Leipzig. Will this be the season when Leipzig make a breakthrough and win either of these titles? Maybe not, but do not be surprised if a decade from now, RB Leipzig's trophy room is overflowing with silverware.

The Weekly Take, Issue 111: Die Bullen's Loss Is the Blues' Gain

As the Bundesliga season draws to a close, the final league positions have begun to be settled. Bayern Munich have clinched the league title for an eighth consecutive season. Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, secured second place in the league by beating RB Leipzig 2-0. Erling Håland continued his blistering run of form by scoring both of Dortmund's goals. Leipzig simply had no answer for the young Norwegian whose legend is growing with every match.

During the build-up to this match, much of the focus had been centred on Timo Werner. Leipzig's German centre-forward had just confirmed that he will sign for Chelsea on July 1, 2020. The Blues paid €53 million to land Werner. Given the likely trajectory of Werner's career over the coming years, this could potentially be an absolute bargain for the London club.

Werner's departure and all the talk surrounding it might have been a distraction to Die Bullen. All their players, Werner included, played well below the level at which they are capable of playing. Thus, it was no surprise to see them go down tamely to their opponents.

After four excellent seasons in Saxony, it is no surprise to see the Stuttgart-born player leave the club. Now, it must be mentioned that Leipzig are one of the best-run clubs in the Bundesliga. Their front office and scouting department have done superbly over the past few years. As a result of their efforts, Leipzig is by no means a team devoid of talent; it is one of the most balanced and well-rounded teams in European football today.

Nevertheless, there are several obvious reasons why a rising star like Werner would leave Leipzig for Chelsea. Probably the most important of these is, of course, the money. Owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, Chelsea can afford to pay Werner a far higher salary than any he could ever have earned in Saxony.

It is also easier for Werner to build his personal brand as a Chelsea player than it would be if he were to remain at Leipzig. Although Leipzig have been on the rise in recent years while Chelsea have been stuck in a rut largely due to Abramovich's incompetence as an owner, the fact remains that Chelsea have much, much more cultural cache than do Leipzig. The two clubs are, quite frankly, not even in the same universe when it comes to public recognition and branding.

By moving to Stamford Bridge, Werner also increases his chances of winning the Champions League. At present, if the current Chelsea and Leipzig squads were to face off in a 10-match series, the German club would probably win seven or eight of them. However, Chelsea are set up beautifully for the future. Werner will form part of a formidable core which will also include fellow young star Christian Pulisic as well as the player who I believe is world's best defensive midfielder: N'Golo Kanté. To make things even more interesting, Werner is still just 24 years old while Pulisic is 21. Even after Kanté ages and declines, Werner and Pulisic will be likely to form one of the most lethal duos in world football, especially once both reach their prime years. They will also be surrounded by other capable supporting pieces of similar ages such as Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori, and Tammy Abraham.

If (and this is a very big if indeed) Abramovich does not fail to build around his new core the same way he failed to build around former Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard, there is a real possibility that within the next few years, one or perhaps more Champions League titles might be coming Chelsea's way. Having said that, Abramovich's track record in this area has generally been abysmal; thus, the next few years could also easily be barren. In either case, these are exciting times to be a Chelsea fan.

That being said, this also isn't a total loss for Leipzig. The money they received is certainly substantial. They can use it to bolster their Champions League and Bundesliga campaigns next season if they spend it wisely - something which they have often done in recent times. There are several solid centre-forward in the market right now who could be signed to replace Werner.

Regardless, Chelsea will be more pleased with this transfer than will Leipzig. It's not every day that a club gets to sign a potential future Ballon d'Or winner. Chelsea now have two.

The Weekly Take, Issue 101: The Next Great French Defender

Over the years, there have been some truly great defenders to come out of France. Players such as Manuel Amoros, Laurent Blanc, Bixente Lizarazu, Marcel Desailly, Lilian Thuram, Patrice Evra, and Raphaël Varane come to mind.

Before too long, another player might soon add his name to this legendary list. This player is in the midst of a breakout season for RB Leipzig, and his latest performance might very well have been his most impressive yet.

This player is Dayot Upamecano.

The Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Leipzig had been much-anticipated because it was a clash between the first- and second-placed teams in the league. It ended in a 0-0 draw - a fact that reflected extremely well on Leipzig's defense. This is because from an offensive standpoint, Bayern were firmly in control throughout. The Bavarians had 70% of the possession, completed almost two-and-a-half times more passes than did Die Bullen, and had 11 corners to Leipzig's three. Bayern's offensive line containing the likes of Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, and of course, Robert Lewandowski were active throughout; however, a gutty, gritty performance by Leipzig's defense successfully neutralized the threat Bayern's offense posed.

Of Leipzig's three defenders, Upamecano was clearly the most impressive. The Frenchman was absolutely dominant at centre-back as he completely shut down Bayern's attacks time and again. The highlights of Upamecano's performance included a perfectly-timed block to prevent what would have been a Lewandowski goal as well as another spectacular block to deny Alphonso Davies from scoring. Although Upamecano did pick up a yellow card, this was also a good play because his foul on Thomas Müller also prevented a possible Bayern goal after Lewandowski headed the ball in the German winger's direction in a dangerous area of the pitch.

Over the past two seasons, Leipzig's defense has been truly impressive, especially when one considers that in 2017-18, the club from Saxony conceded 53 goals and ranked joint-14th in the league in this statistic. Last season, however, Leipzig turned it around impressively by allowing the fewest goals of any team in the Bundesliga. This season, they have continued this trend by conceding just 25 goals thus far. A key reason for this upward trend has been the impressive performance of Upamecano. The player from Normandy has turned into the fulcrum of Leipzig's defense; the team's overall defensive performance has improved in tandem with his own emergence as one of the best young centre-backs in the Bundesliga. His rapid improvement has also been reflected in the transfer market; although a number of clubs have been considering making a bid to lure him away from the Red Bull Arena, his ever-increasing transfer price has thus far ensured that no transfer has yet taken place.

On the international front, it is borderline criminal that Upamecano has never been capped by France. However, at just 21 years old, Upamecano has plenty of time to burnish his international credentials. It will surely not be long before Upamecano makes his Les Bleus debut; he might even be selected as part of the France squad for the upcoming 2020 European Championships. Circumstances permitting, he will likely have a long and fruitful international career to accompany what will probably be an equally impressive club career.

Upamecano has clearly established himself as one of the rising stars of world football. If Leipzig are to make a deep run in this season's Champions League, win the Bundesliga title, or perhaps even both, Upamecano will have undoubtedly played a major role in the club's success. However, it remains to be seen if Upamecano's long-term future will continue to be at Leipzig or instead be somewhere else. It is certainly possible that in the coming off-season, Upamecano inks a deal with a more "glamorous" club, especially if he puts in some impressive performances for France during Euro 2020.

In any case, it appears that the potential of the player whom I believe to be the next great French defender is almost limitless. There is a reason that clubs such as Barcelona and Bayern have been in pursuit of Upamecano even as his transfer value has understandably ballooned to close to €60 million. Regardless of where Upamecano ends up, however, it seems that an impressive career is in store for this talented, exciting young defender.

The Weekly Take, Issue 77: The Most Underrated Young Prospect in the World

It is always interesting to track the career developments of young players and finding out if they ever live up to the hype. Some end up fulfilling all the promise they showed in their younger years, while others simply peaked early and never lived up to the expectations that surrounded them.

Today, some of the more promising young prospects who have been receiving considerable amounts of attention include Jadon Sancho, Frenkie de Jong, Kylian Mbappé, João Félix, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Matthijs de Ligt, Christian Pulisic, and Luka Jović, just to name a few.

However, there is one young player who has consistently gone under the radar. It may be because he doesn't have a flashy playstyle, doesn't play for a glamorous, big-market club (in fact, his club is despised by most in the league in which he plays), and has never commanded anything approaching the fees paid out to sign some of the players just mentioned.

Still only 23, this player has been on a clear upward trajectory and has established himself as a rising star, but seldom receives the credit which he deserves.

This player is RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner.

Leipzig began their Bundesliga campaign on the right track. The Saxony club registered a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the first league matchday of the season. Werner played a key role in the victory by scoring Die Roten Bullen's opening goal. He posed a major threat to Eintracht's defense throughout and combined well with strike partner Yussuf Poulsen.

Despite his young age, Werner has been quietly impressive for Leipzig ever since he joined the club in 2016.

In 95 Bundesliga games for Leipzig, Werner has scored 52 goals, with 21 of those coming in his breakout first season with Leipzig in 2016-17. He has been one of the Bundesliga's more consistent strikers over this period and was deservedly named as part of Germany's ultimately doomed World Cup squad.

However, despite his poor World Cup, he has been impressive for Die Mannschaft as well. In a team loaded with talent up front, Werner has already amassed 25 caps and 10 international goals at the age of 23. He was also the top scorer in the 2017 Confederations Cup.

There is every possibility that Werner might be primed to take his game to the next level soon. Werner already possesses impressive speed, ball control, and finishing skills. If he were to refine his decision-making and improve his passing a little more, he might very well become one of the most feared strikers on the planet.

Werner also holds three "youngest" records in the Bundesliga. He is the youngest player to score at least two goals in a game, to play 100 games, and to play 150 games.

Having already achieved all of this, it is surprising and something of an injustice that the Stuttgart-born player is seldom regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in world football, because he clearly is.

It must be kept in mind that if his career were to follow the trajectory of most players, he is still four to six years from his absolute peak. The fact that he already has such an impressive record in a major league for one of its leading clubs should give Leipzig fans much excitement and anticipation for what he might achieve in the years to come.

This excitement should only increase after Werner spurned Bayern Munich to remain at the Red Bull Arena until 2023. Many a young Bundesliga player in his position have been drawn away from other clubs by the allure of the glamour, prestige, history, opportunity for trophies, big market, and of course the money which the Bavarian giants are able to offer. However, such was clearly not the case with Werner, much to the delight of Leipzig fans (and the chagrin of many of other Bundesliga clubs).

Given all that he has already accomplished in his young career, it is evident that Werner could easily go on to become one of the best players in the world if his career continues on the path on which it has been. It's time he got his due - he has undeservedly gone under the radar for far too long.

The Weekly Take, Issue 62: Stalling the Bayern Freight Train

This season’s Bundesliga title race will go down to the wire.

Having been leading arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund by four points with two matchdays remaining, all Bayern Munich needed to do to clinch the title with one matchday remaining was beat RB Leipzig at the Saxony club’s Red Bull Arena.

However, this was not to happen. Leipzig held the Bavarian giants to a 0-0 draw, keeping the title race alive. Leipzig’s defense deserved particular credit, with players such as Lukas Klostermann and Marcel Halstenberg having excellent performances to stymie Bayern’s potent frontline.

Ever since earning promotion to the Bundesliga in 2016, Die Bullen have established themselves among the league’s leading clubs. After an incredible Bundesliga debut season in which they finished second to Bayern, Leipzig did have somewhat of a decline last season. They only finished sixth in the league and failed to qualify for this season’s Champions League. This season, though, they have bounced back impressively. They will finish third in the league and have reached the final of the DFB-Pokal, in which they will again face Bayern.

Despite the mass disdain and scorn Leipzig have received for their overt, unvarnished commercialism, it cannot be denied that although this is a team without any superstars, it is nevertheless a formidable unit with above-average players at most positions.

Anchored by the likes of Willi Orban, Klostermann, and goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi who has been arguably the most improved player in the league, Leipzig’s defense has been the most impenetrable in the Bundesliga. Having conceded just 27 league goals this season, their back five have built the foundation of Leipzig’s success this season.

Moving into midfield, it can be seen that Leipzig have not missed a beat despite losing Naby Keïta to Liverpool. Marcel Sabitzer, Kevin Kampl, and Diego Demme have all had solid seasons. These are not names which stand out at first glance, but they have gelled nicely to form an understated but effective midfield.

Up front, Leipzig start Yussuf Poulsen and Timo Werner. The two have combined to score half of Leipzig’s 62 league goals this season. Since Werner’s arrival at the club in 2016, they have formed one of the Bundesliga’s best strike pairings. Their ascendances have not gone unnoticed by their national teams; both were in their country’s World Cup squads last year. At just the ages of 24 and 23 respectively, Poulsen and Werner should have many more productive years ahead of them.

I have saved the most important piece for last: the club’s best player, Swedish winger Emil Forsberg. Although Forsberg has missed large portions of the past two seasons through injury, there cannot be any doubt about his ability. An excellent playmaker, Forsberg is one of the most underrated passers in world football today. Ever since his breakout season in 2016-17 when he was named to the Bundesliga’s Team of the Season, he has been the primary creative force behind Leipzig’s success.

Despite their gaudy corporate exterior, Leipzig can be said to be an example of a club that has done it “the right way”. Since earning promotion to the Bundesliga three years ago, Leipzig have not brought out big money to sign stars. Instead, they have made smart, under-the-radar signings such as Kampl, Werner, Ibrahima Konaté, and Keïta. This past off-season, they proceeded to sell Keïta to Liverpool for €60 million, thus ensuring that they will have ample money to work with during the next transfer window.

Although Bayern are still likely to once again win the Bundesliga, should they fail to do so, Leipzig’s draw in a pivotal late-season game will be a big reason for that. Leipzig might even deny Bayern both halves of a Double by beating them in the DFB-Pokal final – an outcome which is not outside the realms of possibility.

RB Leipzig’s success has proven that a club does not necessarily need either tremendous amounts of money or a history of being one of European football’s “blue bloods” to reach the heights that it has. Their remarkable rise over the last half-decade will have surely made them the envy of, and an example for, smaller teams across Europe who dream of making it on the biggest of stages someday.

The Weekly Take, Issue 7: Bulls on Parade

RB Leipzig have put the brakes on Bayern Munich’s march to yet another Bundesliga title by beating them 2-1. Rising stars Naby Keïta and Timo Werner were on the scoresheet for the Saxony-based club, who have taken a major step in the log-jammed race for second place in the Bundesliga, which currently sees five clubs, including Leipzig, separated by just six points.

However, despite Bayern’s dominance over many years, this result will not be received warmly by many a Bundesliga fan. RB Leipzig have arguably received more vitriol and hate from opposing fans than any other team in the Bundesliga.

It’s a shame that this is the case, because it has been a remarkable few years for Leipzig.

In 2016-17, the season after they were promoted from the 2. Liga, they stunned the football world by finishing second to Bayern in the Bundesliga. They have proceeded to prove that this result was no fluke by again competing for a Champions League spot this season.

However, many fans, especially those of other Bundesliga teams, hate Leipzig and all they stand for because they feel that the presence of a team with such obvious corporate ties is “corrupting” the Bundesliga, and football in general.

While I would say that measures do need to be taken by the authorities to curb the fact that clubs with more money currently have a disproportionate advantage, I also believe the disdain for Leipzig is both unwarranted and hypocritical.

Look at a club like Bayern. Their stadium is named after Allianz, and Allianz is also their jersey sponsor. Bayern Munich also only sell their shares to certain people selected by club authorities in order to benefit their brand, and thus maximise their profits. Are they also not a representation of the commercialisation and corporatisation of football?

In the Bundesliga, there are teams whose stadiums are named after the likes of Opel, Commerzbank, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen, while some of the league’s teams’ jersey sponsors include SAP, Gazprom, and Emirates.

The only difference is that Leipzig are being far more open about their commercial side than any other club. Besides that, there is absolutely no difference between what Leipzig are doing and what other clubs are doing.

Hence, it is utterly hypocritical for the fans of other Bundesliga clubs to criticise Leipzig when their own club is likely doing much of the same.

It’s also not as if Leipzig have followed in the footsteps of the likes of PSG or Manchester City and bought star after star with the new-found money they have.

Their best players are Liverpool-bound Keïta, Werner, Kevin Kampl, and Emil Forsberg – not exactly a list of names which will strike fear into the hearts of opposing teams.

Yet, it is this unlikely group which has surprised many by leading Leipzig to the heights they have reached.

Although they may be owned by a large commercial enterprise, on the pitch, Leipzig bear none of the hallmarks of such a team. Indeed, they are more like the “model team” many fans dream about – a carefully-built, egoless, well-balanced squad that have achieved much success over a short period of time.

Furthermore, unlike PSG and Manchester City, Leipzig will never attract superstars anyway.

Leipzig is a small-market team. The city of Leipzig is an unglamorous, rather average city of under 600,000. Contrast this with the vibrant metropolis that is Paris, or, in spite of its small population, the happening, somewhat hipsterish atmosphere in Manchester.

Almost no footballers in the prime of their careers would want to come to Leipzig, even if Leipzig were able to offer a large salary. This is because they would not want to live in Leipzig.

Football fans, and, indeed, sports fans as a whole the world over were collectively in sheer awe and admiration when Leicester City won the Premier League title in 2016.

Yet, despite their gaudy, commercialised exterior, RB Leipzig have also achieved a great deal in much the same way, but have attracted almost-universal criticism and condemnation, especially from fans of other Bundesliga teams.

It’s time to drop the hate and embrace Leipzig. They may not seem like it on the surface, but when it comes right down to it, they are many of the things that their haters actually want to see in a football club.