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Tag: RB Leipzig

  • Leipzig send Chelsea transfer warning over Xavi Simons offer

    Leipzig send Chelsea transfer warning over Xavi Simons offer

    Chelsea’s pursuit of Xavi Simons faces uncertainty as RB Leipzig tell them he will only leave if it ‘makes sporting and financial sense.’

    The 22-year-old is understood to have already agreed personal terms with Chelsea, turning down reported interest from Bayern Munich and Man City.

    Chelsea are yet to agree a fee with RB Leipzig, however, who value the Dutch playmaker at around £60 million.

    Sporting director Marcel Schäfer has now warned the Premier League giants that Simons will only leave the club if they’re happy with every aspect of the deal.

    Schäfer told Bild: “A transfer will only happen if it makes sporting and financial sense. If that’s not the case, Xavi will be an RB Leipzig player next year as well.”

    Simons featured for RB Leipzig in their 4-2 DFB Pokal win over Sandhausen, scoring the final goal of the game in the 96th minute.

  • UCL: Nunez guides Liverpool to narrow win at RB Leipzig

    UCL: Nunez guides Liverpool to narrow win at RB Leipzig

    Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez took full advantage of a rare start with the winner in his side’s 1-0 victory at RB Leipzig.

    The win ensured Liverpool’s 100% start in the Champions League continued on Wednesday.

    With Diogo Jota ruled out because of injury, Uruguayan Nunez got his chance and delivered in the 27th minute by poking home Mohamed Salah’s header.

    Nunez, who has been used predominantly as a substitute this season, also had a clear penalty turned down as he gave manager Arne Slot plenty to think about.

    Liverpool’s club record sixth away win out of six in all competitions to start a season, maintains an excellent start to the Slot reign with the Dutchman winning 11 of his first 12 games since replacing Anfield favourite Juergen Klopp.

    This is a feat no Liverpool manager has achieved.

    Liverpool are second in the 36-team Champions League group phase with nine points, sandwiched between Premier League rivals Aston Villa who also have nine and Manchester City (seven).

    “We are really happy with the win, a difficult away game against a group one team,” Slot said.

    “We controlled the game for large parts except maybe for the last 15 minutes when we needed our centre backs and also our goalkeeper in two big moments.

    “If we had left here with a draw I would have felt like we really lost something.”

    Leipzig twice had goals disallowed and Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher made two important saves as the Bundesliga club’s wait for a first point goes on.

    Leipzig looked fired up from the start and were the better side with Lois Openda having a superb effort ruled out for offside moments before Liverpool went ahead.

    Salah rose to meet a cross and his header wrong-footed keeper Peter Gulacsi, appearing to be going inside the post before Nunez made absolutely sure with the final touch.

    The goal sparked Liverpool into life and Nunez could not believe he was not awarded a penalty when he was clipped in the area by Willi Orban.

    Alexis Mac Allister struck the crossbar with a dipping shot for Liverpool after the break but Slot’s side were unable to extend their advantage and almost paid the price.

  • Real Madrid snatch draw to qualify for Champions League quarter-finals

    Real Madrid snatch draw to qualify for Champions League quarter-finals

    Real Madrid withstood an onslaught from RB Leipzig to secure a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday.

    The result meant that they scaled through to the quarter-finals with a slim 2-1 aggregate victory at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.

    RB Leipzig were arguably the better side and missed several gilt-edged chances.

    But Real Madrid increased the tempo in the second half and ultimately did enough to seal their place in the last eight.

    Bidding for a record-extending 15th Champions League title, Real took the lead thanks to a Vinicius Jr strike from a counter attack in the 65th minute.

    But Leipzig’s Willi Orban levelled the score three minutes later with a header to set up a tense final few minutes that included a strike that hit the crossbar by Dani Olmo.

    Even though Real Madrid have a formidable record in Europe, having been knocked out in the round of 16 only twice in the past 14 years while winning the title five times during that period, Carlo Ancelotti’s team began rather cagily.

    Leipzig kept threatening to score, with Orban missing twice in the second half after shooting wide.

    In the second half, Rodrygo replaced Eduardo Camavinga and suddenly Real were playing with more purpose.

    Real appeared to have put the tie to bed when Toni Kroos stole the ball and fed Jude Bellingham at the halfway line, who took the ball up the Leipzig box.

    He slipped a pass to Vinicius, who had cut in from the left into the centre circle before rifling a shot into the left-hand corner.

    That goal only seemed to fire up Leipzig, who equalised within three minutes when Orban got in front of Nacho to score with a stooping header from a cross by David Raum.

    In a final 20 minutes in which several yellow cards were handed out, Real Madrid were playing with fire and were under repeated pressure in their own box.

    Goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who had already saved the hosts in the first leg, was forced to make several crucial saves.

    Leipzig almost took the game to extra time when Dani Olmo saw his shot ricochet off the bar in added time.

    Ultimately, Real did just enough to qualify for yet another quarter-final.

    “Obviously we know it wasn´t the best game of the season,” said Real’s captain Nacho.

    “Sometimes you just have bad games and tonight was the case.

    “It looks like a drama because of how we played but what really matters is we qualified for the quarters. Let that be a lesson for what’s to come.”

  • Leipzig without forward Werner for longer than initially expected

    Leipzig without forward Werner for longer than initially expected

    RB Leipzig will be without forward Timo Werner for longer than initially expected due to an adductor issue.

    “The problems are becoming more persistent,” coach Marco Rose said in a news conference on Friday.

    Werner missed three games last month, including the Champions League match at Manchester City on Tuesday, and will not be available for the Bundesliga clash against Heidenheim on Saturday.

    It’s unclear how long the forward will be sidelined.

    Werner had to deal with back issues earlier this season and last year he missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar due to a ligament tear.

    His fitness issues put into doubt his participation at the Euro 2024 with Germany.

    There is also speculation that Werner could transfer to another club in the winter. The club is reportedly considering a loan abroad.

    Captain Willi Orban, meanwhile, is not expected to play again this year due to a torn knee ligament. Coach Rose expects to have him back once training resumes on Jan. 2 following the winter break.

    “We want to be in the best possible starting position for the second half of the season.

    “We’re obviously hopeful that we’ll have both our captain Willi Orban and one of our key players Dani Olmo back by then.

    “Then we’ll be able to really kick on in the new year,” he said.

    Olmo hasn’t played since October also due to injury. 

  • Nagelsmann to be in charge of Germany until Euro 2024

    Nagelsmann to be in charge of Germany until Euro 2024

    Julian Nagelsmann is the new Germany national team coach, the German Football Federation (DFB) said on Friday.

    The former RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich coach will replace Hansi Flick and will initially remain in charge until the Euro 2024 tournament on home ground.

    Nagelsmann signed a contract until July 2024 and will have former Bayern forward Sandro Wagner as his assistant coach.

    “We have the Euros in our own country. That’s something special. I have a great desire to take on this challenge,” Nagelsmann was quoted in the DFB statement.

    Nagelsmann most recently coached German champions Bayern, where he also succeeded Flick, but had to go in March during an up-and-down campaign by their standards.

    He still had a contract with Bayern, but this has been terminated. According to reports, the Bavarian club was willing to let Nagelsmann go without charging a fee.

    His first task will be friendly games on Oct. 14 in Hartford against the U.S. and three days later in Philadelphia against Mexico.

    The new coach must also work further on a turnaround for which there is little time left before hosts Germany, play the opening match of the Euros on June 14, 2024 in Munich.

    “The European championship next year is of enormous importance for the whole of football in Germany.

    “We are convinced that Nagelsmann will ensure that the national team inspires its fans and that the Euros are also a sporting success,” DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said.

    Flick was dismissed on Sept. 10 after just four wins in his last 17 games which included a second straight World Cup group stage exit and four defeats from the last five games without victory.

    Germany then beat France 2-1 on September 12, with popular former Germany striker and coach Rudi Völler as caretaker but not ready to stay on for a longer period.

    Völler, who is currently the Germany team director, was reportedly the driving force behind the appointment of Nagelsmann.

    “Julian Nagelsmann was our preferred candidate from the start. Not only is he an absolute football expert.

    “He  has already proven in all his positions – at a very young age for a head coach – that he can motivate and inspire a team and the entire environment,” Völler said.

  • EPL: Christopher Nkunku finally joins Chelsea from RB Leipzig

    EPL: Christopher Nkunku finally joins Chelsea from RB Leipzig

    France forward Christopher Nkunku has joined English Premier League side, Chelsea Football club from RB Leipzig in a deal worth £63 million ($80 million).

    Recall that Nkunku had already agreed a deal with the London side in December 2022 but delayed his arrival at the club till the end of the season.

    The 25-year-old has put pen to paper on a lucrative six-year contract with the Blues, who are embarking on a close-season overhaul as they look to bounce back from a dismal campaign.

    “Chelsea is delighted to announce Christopher Nkunku will join the club from RB Leipzig ahead of the 2023/24 season,” a statement on the Blues’ website said.

    Nkunku is one of the rising stars of European football and scored 23 goals in 36 games for Leipzig last season.

    He is the first major signing since Mauricio Pochettino was confirmed as Chelsea’s new manager at the end of May.

    “I am incredibly happy to be joining Chelsea. A big effort was made to bring me to the club,” Nkunku said.

    – ‘Creativity and versatility’ –
    Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, said: “Christopher has proved himself one of the standout attacking players in European football over the past two seasons and will add quality, creativity and versatility to our squad.”

    Nkunku earned his France debut last year and has been capped 10 times.

    He was ruled out of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with a leg injury.

    “I am very excited for this challenge and will be proud to wear the Chelsea shirt.”

    Bidding farewell to Leipzig, Nkunku wrote a heartfelt message on the club’s website:

    “Now it’s time for me to say ‘Au Revoir’ Leipzig. I am incredibly grateful to RB Leipzig and everyone at the club – my team, the coaching staff, the staff and most importantly the fans. I had four years in Leipzig which I will never forget,” he said.

    “I represented my country while at RB Leipzig, I have developed extremely well from a sporting and personal perspective and we have now been able to crown this time with two German cup wins.

    “RB Leipzig will always have a permanent place in my heart. I hope there will be a chance in the future to come back to Leipzig as a guest and play in front of the great fans again.”

  • UCL: John Stones tips Haaland to break Messi, Ronaldo’s record

    UCL: John Stones tips Haaland to break Messi, Ronaldo’s record

    Manchester City striker, Erling Haaland has been tipped to break the UEFA Champions League records of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after his incredible display against RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

    City defender and teammate, John Stones made this claim while answering interview questions from pressmen.

    Haaland recently broke a long-standing record at Man City by becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer for a single season, with 39 goals.

    The gangling forward scored five goals in Man City’s champions League game against RB Leipzig which they won 7-0.

    He now has 33 goals from just 25 Champions League games so far in his career.

    According to Stones, Haaland has got the prospect to emulate the incredible goal-scoring feats of Messi and Ronaldo who have netted 129 and 140 goals respectively in the UEFA Champions League.

     

    “How do I go about this without putting pressure on Erling?” Stones said via Mirror Football when quizzed about Haaland emulating Ronaldo and Messi in the Champions League.

    “He’d probably thrive off it. I believe he really could do what he wants, just from his hunger, his attitude and his professionalism and I’d love to see him do it, definitely.’

    “I think he wants to just win. I think if you have that mentality, then the personal accolades just come naturally without chasing them. That could be totally wrong, but I think Erling is a huge team player and with that kind of mindset, he is going that way to break more records.”

  • UCL: Mahrez, Gvardiol score as Leipzig, Manchester city share spoils

    UCL: Mahrez, Gvardiol score as Leipzig, Manchester city share spoils

    Leipzig football club of Germany came back from a goal down to play out a 1-1 draw  against English premier League  defending  champions Manchester City in their Champions League round-of-16 first leg game on Wednesday.

    Riyad Mahrez’s first-half goal had seemingly set Pep Guardiola’s side on their way to the quarter-finals as they dominated the early proceedings in Germany, but Leipzig bounced back and found a deserved equaliser through the head of Josko Gvardiol.

    In the 27th minute, Jack Grealish nicked back possession and his forward pass was dummied by Ilkay Gundogan, allowing Mahrez to fire the ball low into the corner of the net. It was a deserved lead and put City in total control of the tie.

    However, in the 70th minute of the encounter, Andre Silva and Dominik Szoboszlai forced smart saves from Ederson but the goalkeeper had no answer when Gvardiol leaped above Ruben Dias and nodded into the net. It was a deserved equaliser given the way that Leipzig responded once behind.

  • RB Leipzig’s Mintzlaff shuns Chelsea job offer

    RB Leipzig’s Mintzlaff shuns Chelsea job offer

    Chelsea Football Club contacted RB Leipzig managing director Oliver Mintzlaff about joining the English Premier League side in a similar role but the German declined the offer.

    The 47-year-old was one of several candidates but after the transfer window closed, he told Chelsea he would stay with the German Cup winners, where he has a contract until 2026.

    New Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has expressed his interest in the Red Bull model, with effective farm teams in operation across the globe.

    According to reports, American Boehly is now close to appointing Red Bull Salzburg’s sporting director Christoph Freund as the key football man at Stamford Bridge.

    RB Leipzig are also hoping to appoint former Borussia Mönchengladbach sporting director Max Eberl to the same role from January.

    This is to enable Mintzlaff concentrate on his original operations role, rather than detailed football analysis.

    The post has been vacant for over a year.

  • Sadio Mane shines in 8-goal thriller as Bayern Munich lift German Super Cup

    Sadio Mane shines in 8-goal thriller as Bayern Munich lift German Super Cup

    Sadio Mané scored on his competitive debut for new-look Bayern Munich as they overcame RB Leipzig 5-3 in thrilling fashion on Saturday to lift the German Super Cup.

    Germany teenager Jamal Musiala rifled Bayern Munich ahead after RB Leipzig had failed to clear a corner-kick after 14 minutes.

    Ex-Liverpool forward Mané then tapped in on the half hour from Serge Gnabry’s pass as the Bavarians quickly got used to life without new FC Barcelona signing Robert Lewandowski.

    Benjamin Pavard made it three before the interval.

    The season curtain-raiser between last term’s Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and the German Cup winners was held in Leipzig.

    But the hosts did little to threaten the visitors until Marcel Halstenberg’s second-half header.

    Gnabry and Christopher Nkunku then traded goals before Dani Olmo’s late strike for RB Leipzig made things interesting, only for Leroy Sané to score at the death.

    “I’m really, really happy to win my first trophy with Bayern Munich. “I’m looking forward to more trophies,” Mané said later on.

    Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann, formerly at RB Leipzig, started Senegal’s African Player of the Year while other new signings such as Matthijs de Ligt began on the bench.

    RB Leipzig’s Domenico Tedesco meanwhile included Austria midfielder Konrad Laimer, heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich.

    But left-back Angelino was missing as he looks for another club with Hoffenheim’s David Raum set to arrive.

    After a minute’s silence and applause for late Germany great Uwe Seeler, the first excitement came when Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer raced out of his box.

    But he failed to clear the ball, only for his defenders to mop up for him.

    Bayern Munich then took the lead but it was more to do with RB Leipzig’s casual defending than anything.

    After some pinball in the box, 19-year-old Musiala pounced and made no mistake.

    A lot is expected of midfielder Musiala this season —- with Bayern Munich set to play without an out-and-out striker —- and he passed his audition with aplomb.

    RB Leipzig, linked in the media with former Borussia Mönchengladbach sporting director Max Eberl, thought they had soon levelled.

    But Nkunku —- Bundesliga Player of the Season last term —- was rightly flagged offside.

    Mané then made the headlines, even though in truth it was one of the easiest goals he will ever score, with two more efforts later on chalked off for offside.

    Musiala took centre stage again by setting up Pavard on the stroke of half-time.

    But RB Leipzig’s defending was again loose following the departure of Nordi Mukiele to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

    Substitute Andre Silva struck the bar for RB Leipzig after the break and Halstenberg went one better with his own header from a corner-kick.

    But any hopes of a comeback were quickly ended by Gnabry smashing into the roof of the net.

    Nkunku’s 77th-minute penalty kick and Olmo’s fine finish came too late for the Red Bulls as Bayern Munich’s defence suddenly wilted, before Sané had the last laugh on the break.

    “In the first half they simply showed their strength. They were coming from everywhere, left and right,” said RB Leipzig’s Tedesco.

    “We’ve got to improve and bring the lads to a good level.”

    The game clashed with the first round of the German Cup, meaning that RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich take on Ottensen and Viktoria Cologne at the end of August.

    Bayern Munich kick off the Bundesliga campaign at Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday.