RB Leipzig were not only hurt by the 2-1 (1-0) defeat at VfB Stuttgart, but also by the increasingly tense personnel situation in attack. It was "brutally bitter", said captain Willi Orban about the yellow cards shown to his team-mates Benjamin Sesko and Loïs Openda.
Both strikers were sent off in the closing stages of the game at VfB on Wednesday and will miss Leipzig's second-round Bundesliga opener at VfL Bochum on Saturday (15:30/Sky).
In addition, André Silva will continue to miss out due to calf problems, according to coach Marco Rose. Veteran Yussuf Poulsen could return to the squad following his long-term thigh injury, but does not yet appear to be an option for the starting eleven.
Two sending-offs in four minutes
"That doesn't help us now," said Rose about the two sending-offs in Stuttgart. Sesko had fouled VfB midfield strategist Angelo Stiller (85th minute) and Openda had pushed opponent Jamie Leweling (88th).
"We will still go to Bochum to win," said Rose. And we will also put in another energetic performance on the pitch." However, the aim must be to deliver this over 90 minutes. At VfB, the Saxons were only convincing in the first half.
Three days after the 4-2 defeat against Werder Bremen, the defeat in Stuttgart was another setback in the fight for a place in the Champions League.
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