RB Leipzig ready for difficult opening match in the Premier League against Atlético Madrid

Atlético Madrid should be warned. RB Leipzig were only eliminated in Madrid in the round of 16 by eventual Champions League winners Real after controversial refereeing decisions. And the Bundesliga club's 2:1 victory in the quarter-finals in the 2019/2020 season is still in the back of coach Diego Simeone's mind. The coach and the Spanish media are expecting "without a doubt one of Atlético's toughest opponents" in this Thursday's Premier League opener (21:00/DAZN).

Atlético invested three times as much

After finishing fourth in the Spanish league, 19 points behind Real, Madrid have just made a major upgrade. Argentinian world champion Julian Alvarez came from Manchester City for €75 million, Conor Gallagher from Chelsea FC for €42 million, Robin Le Normand from Real Sociedad for €34 million and unsuccessful Leipzig striker Alexander Sörloth was signed from FC Villarreal for €32 million. In total, the club spent around 185 million euros on new players. In other words, three times as much as RB (62 million euros) this summer.

With three wins and two draws, they have made a solid start to the league, level on points with Real. But Leipzig are also unbeaten, and have not lost in 14 league games this season. Nevertheless, Marco Rose's team found it extremely difficult to find solutions in attack in the draw against Union Berlin. "Next we'll take care of Atletico and still have some time to regenerate. We can also intensify the integration of our new signings over the next few days," said Rose in view of the last-minute additions. One of them is Arthur Vermeeren, who is still under contract with Atlético until 2030 and completed his pre-season training in Spain. The Belgian therefore knows what makes his opponents tick and has already spoken to Rose.

A different approach in Madrid

Lukas Klostermann expects a different approach in Madrid than in the league against Union. "We have to play with a broad chest against Atletico. It will definitely be a different game." Like Willi Orban, Peter Gulacsi, Kevin Kampl, Yussuf Poulsen and Amadou Haidara, he is one of the six players who beat Atlético in 2020. "The Champions League always releases a lot of energy," said captain Orban, who is back in the Bundesliga after his suspension.

A special striker awaits Leipzig at the Estadio Metropolitano. In September 2020, RB signed the Norwegian Sörloth from Turkish first division club Trabzonspor. At the time, RB boss Oliver Mintzlaff spoke of an "edgy center forward" and the "missing piece of the puzzle". In the end, the "King of North", who was presented with much fanfare, was only a permanent loan player. But in pre-season, the Norwegian ignited and scored 23 goals for Villarreal, more than Jude Bellingham or Robert Lewandowski (both 19). Now, in top form, he will face his former club, where he was never really able to find his feet.