"Showed great character": Raum praises Demichelis' crisis management

After the cathartic rout of Hamburger SV, coach Martin Demichelis didn’t lose sight of RB Leipzig’s problems. “We scored eight goals here, but conceded seven on the road. We need to talk about this,” said the Argentine.

This showed that the losses to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga and Como 1907 in the Champions League have left their mark—a mark that even the comfortable victory against a largely helpless Hamburg side couldn’t entirely erase. “We’re always bold here,” said captain David Raum. “We need to take that with us on the road. Not everything was perfect today, but in the end we won 5–0, and we have no reason to complain.”

On the first matchday, they had defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 3–0, before suffering a 1–3 loss in Bremen and a 1–4 defeat in Como. As a result, the coach also came under criticism. “He left us alone for the time being,” said Raum. “He showed greatness, sat down with all of us in small groups, spoke to the team, and was immediately positive.”

Concerns about Ouédraogo

The victory was overshadowed by yet another injury to top prospect Assan Ouédraogo. The national team player re-injured his right shoulder, which had only just healed. “Of course, I hope it’s not too serious and that we’ll have him back as soon as possible,” said Raum.

Coach Demichelis was somewhat more pessimistic, and the TV footage didn’t bode well. The club is expected to provide a precise diagnosis later today. The 20-year-old is unlikely to be available for the next match in Leverkusen or the upcoming DFB national team games.

David Raum explained what Leipzig stands to lose as a result. “He has incredible physicality, which really helps us in games like this against opponents who rely on their strength in one-on-one battles. We also won the second half for him,” said the national team player.