Sunday’s trip to Leverkusen saw RB Leipzig suffer defeat away from home for the second time this season. The second half of the 2-0 loss in particular highlighted what the Red Bulls need to work on.
At the same time, the first 45 demonstrated what RBL are capable of when playing away against a top side.
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A strong start with no reward
The Red Bulls started off as the more positive side, playing bold, incisive football and making life difficult for their opponents. They created the better chances and pushed to take the lead. “In my opinion, we were the better team in the first half,” said Martín Demichelis.
RBL came painfully close to taking the lead in the 34th minute. Tidiam Gomis played the ball through to Rômulo, who set up Christopher Nkunku in the middle. Christo put the ball in the back of the net, but Rômulo had been in an offside position just moments earlier.
Instead of Leipzig grabbing the opener, it was Leverkusen who went in front just before the break. The first lesson from the match, therefore, is that a commanding performance needs to be reflected in the score. RBL could not reap the rewards of a strong first-half display.
Failure to find solutions in the second half
It was a different story after the break. Leverkusen’s defence was much more compact and they didn’t allow the Red Bulls much room to operate. RBL increasingly lacked solutions to overcome the defensive block and create any real chances.
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“We need to learn to play in every stadium with the same boldness that we showed during the first half, but also to not let our focus slip until the final whistle,” explained Micho.
As well as a lack of creative solutions, RBL also failed to mount a charge after the break as defeat began to loom. As the game wore on, it became apparent that RBL had resigned themselves to defeat too soon. A strong 45 minutes isn’t enough against a top team when it is followed by a lack of conviction and determination.
Develop greater resilience
Captain David Raum openly addressed another issue following the final whistle: “We’re maybe missing a bit of that nastiness that you need at times. We have to learn to do more to fight back.”
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It’s about responding to setbacks with greater determination, overcoming difficult periods together, and fighting with everything you’ve got when the game starts going against you.
Despite the defeat, Raumi is taking the game as a “step in the right direction”. After all, the first half showed the potential in the team. Yesterday’s positive start now has to be continued over the full 90 minutes – and ultimately be reflected in the result.
Using the international break as a chance to improve
The international break offers an opportunity to analyse the defeat and work on the problems that have arisen in previous games. RBL will then return to Bundesliga action at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.
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Things have been going very well at the Red Bull Arena as of late, with Leipzig having won seven consecutive home games stretching back to last season. One more victory would see the team set a new club record.
First and foremost, however, the response on the pitch is crucial – RBL must build on the first-half performance against Leverkusen, maintain that level across the full 90 minutes and translate a convincing display into points.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
