After their opening Champions League win, RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose has praised the maturity of his rejuvenated team. "I've liked the way we've handled opposition for a few weeks now," Rose said after the 3-1 win at Young Boys Bern. "You can get eaten up here, and we prevented that. We fought back. That has something of warrior mentality."
The success in Bern not only takes the pressure off the team with an eye on the next game against defending champions Manchester City. It was also the fourth win in a row and an important building block to continue the winning streak on Saturday at Borussia Mönchengladbach. "We defend the goal well, have quality going forward. The victory helps immensely until the guys we're missing right now come back," Rose said.
Captain Willi Orban will miss more than two months with a torn lateral ligament in his knee. The Spanish international Dani Olmo can not currently train with a bruise in the knee. It is unclear how long the offensive player, who is being courted by top clubs, will be out. In Mönchengladbach he will not be there.
In addition comes the departure of the four regulars Christopher Nkunku, Konrad Laimer, Josko Gvardiol and Dominik Szoboszlai. Leipzig is currently benefiting from the fact that the newcomers are performing at a high level. The only 20-year-old Xavi Simons is clock generator in the offense, the same-aged Castello Lukeba represents Orban in the central defense.
"We have played very mature in recent weeks," said veteran Emil Forsberg. The 31-year-old sees confidence in his own ability as the key: "We don't stress ourselves, but try to implement the things the coach tells us." In Bern, that worked through a self-cleaning process after a modest first half. "It got loud among ourselves. Everyone addressed what didn't fit. Then we went out and marched," midfielder Xaver Schlager said.
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