RB Leipzig may be the most divisive team in Germany, but that hasn’t stopped them from being one of the fastest rising teams in European football.
Julien Nagelsmann’s team sit atop the Bundesliga after four matchdays with 10 points from 12. Although difficult games against Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are on the horizon, the Red Bulls have set themselves up for a great campaign on the domestic front.
RB Leipzig are a different team than they were a season ago. Timo Werner’s sale to Chelsea has taken away the team’s dependence on him. The striker scored 28 goals in 34 Bundesliga games last term.
Now without Werner, RB Leipzig are getting goals from other players. Full-back Angelino, midfielder Emil Forsberg, and striker Yussuf Poulsen lead the side in goals with two each in the Bundesliga.
Scoring is spread out this season and that isn’t a bad thing. The Red Bulls reinvested Werner’s transfer fee to sign Hee-Chan Hwang from Red Bull Salzburg and Justin Kluivert from Roma. The duo is promising and showed last weekend versus Augsburg the potential they have in attack.
RB Leipzig have an expected point total of 9.84 compared to their actual points of 10. They have scored 10 goals while having an expected goal figure of 10.09. Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball, RB Leipzig conceded just twice in four games and have an expected conceded goals figure of 2.75.
The Red Bulls must manage their league and Champions League schedule. They face off against Istanbul Basaksehir, Manchester United, and Paris Saint-Germain in the tournament’s group stage.
Their fixtures against Paris Saint-Germain will see the teams meet for the second straight year in the tournament. Last August, RB Leipzig were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals of the Champions League.
Since being founded in 2009, RB Leipzig have come a long way. They may have the money of Red Bull behind them, but the club have been run well. The team’s hierarchy isn’t afraid to sell stars as was seen with the transfers of Naby Keita and Timo Werner.
RB Leipzig continue to develop players when they sell stars. It has made the club one of the top sides in Germany and should keep them at the top of table for seasons to come.
Can RB Leipzig hold off Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund? Nagelsmann needs to keep the team consistent and importantly, defeat the reigning champions, and they could win a first-ever Bundesliga title.