The biggest debacle in RB Leipzig's Bundesliga history is far from over for Willi Orban. "Of course you want to show that you can do better," said the Saxony defender with a view to the rematch against Bayern Munich.
The team started the new season with a 6-0 defeat in Munich. "Now we're starting from scratch and playing at home. That's why it's a bit easier than playing in Munich. We want to put everything into it and see where we stand," said Orban. Thanks to the 2-0 win against Freiburg - decided by two set-pieces within three minutes - the Saxons are well prepared for the Bundesliga clash on Saturday (18:30/Sky).
Matured team
There is no question for David Raum that there will not be another lesson. "We're a completely different team, not just in terms of personnel," said the captain. "We've matured, have more processes against the ball, but also with the ball. We're more courageous overall."
But Bayern haven't exactly let up either. On Wednesday, they finished the first half of the season with the best record in Bundesliga history. Thanks to the 3-1 win in Cologne, the record champions surpassed their own record from the 2013/14 season with 47 points thanks to their better goal difference. They are eleven points ahead of their closest rivals Dortmund and 15 points clear of third-placed Leipzig.
Focus on standards
Leipzig have nevertheless continued to develop and have quickly shed their naivety from the first matchday. The team has internalized coach Ole Werner's system and has improved significantly in terms of tactics, especially compared to the previous season.
The team intensified its work on set-pieces during the winter camp in Portugal, which paid off immediately against Freiburg. They prepare things meticulously, said Werner: "In the end, it's still the players' decisions and the quality of the players on the pitch that make the difference." And that should be less on Saturday than at the start of the season.
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