RB coach Werner ahead of Bayern duel: "Play soccer too"

Ole Werner does not want to rely solely on counter-pressing and wild ball chasing at the start of the season. Ahead of the Bundesliga opener this Friday at FC Bayern (8.30pm), he wants his newly-formed team to stress the German soccer champions at the right moments.

"We know that we have to defend well. At the same time, it's important to press early and win a lot of possession. It will also be crucial to play soccer away from home in Munich and always have clear solutions at the ready," said the new head coach, who is making his Bundesliga debut for RB Leipzig on the Isar.

Opening match "the perfect opportunity"

Werner did not discover anything unusual about the unanimous title favorites in the Super Cup against cup winners VfB Stuttgart (2:1). "A very well-rehearsed team that plays the same way it did last season," he explained. Nevertheless, an opening game is "the perfect opportunity to show our game and, in the best case scenario, take something countable with us".

However, Munich have never lost their opening game (18 wins, five draws), "so it's about time", said Leipzig's new captain David Raum in the "Kicker" interview. The last meeting between the two teams in Leipzig ended 3:3, with RB not winning after leading 2:0. In the first leg, Leipzig were beaten 5-1 in Munich in the previous season.

The last Bundesliga win came in May 2023, when the Saxons won 3-1 on the Isar. Three months later, RB lifted the Super Cup for the first time with a 3-0 win in Munich.