"Nothing to give away": RB Leipzig fights the next crisis

RB Leipzig are determined to avoid the next crisis in their last home appearance in the current Champions League, which has no sporting significance. "We have nothing to give away in this phase," said coach Marco Rose. After two games without a win in the Bundesliga, the Saxons will host Sporting Lisbon in the top flight on Wednesday (18:45/DAZN).

"For us, it's about getting results. That's how we'll be judged, regardless of whether we're already out," said Rose. After six of eight games, Leipzig have yet to pick up a single point and can no longer qualify for the knockout phase.

Sporting, on the other hand, can advance to the next round early in Leipzig. "I still don't see a clear favorite," said Rose. He sees one team with zero points and one with ten. "And we want to change that."

Change in goal

After barely getting off the mark in November and December, Leipzig thought they were on the road to footballing recovery after the win against Bremen at the start of the year. However, the defeat in Stuttgart and the 3:3 draw in Bochum after leading 3:0 led to disillusionment. "We want to prove ourselves. We want to gain self-confidence through results. After Bochum, I'm really pissed off," said Rose.

The 48-year-old will make a change in goal and give Maarten Vandevoordt playing time. The Belgian is set to replace regular keeper Peter Gulacsi in Leipzig's goal in the medium term.

Unregistered Xaver Schlager and Ridle Baku are not available. Castello Lukeba is back in team training, but the central defender is unlikely to be an option until Saturday against Bayer Leverkusen.