A Setback: RB Leipzig Loses Friendly Against Boleslav

RB Leipzig lost a friendly match against the Czech first-division club FK Mlada Boleslav. The Bundesliga team fell 4–5 (3–2) at its training center. Leipzig conceded the decisive goal shortly before the end while down a man, as defensive leader Maxime Estève had to change his torn shorts.

During the last international break, coach Martin Demichelis had decided against playing a friendly, but now the Argentine scheduled a match due to the team’s strong roster.

Romulo (12th minute), Estève (24th), Christopher Nkunku (34th minute), and Johan Bakayoko (64th minute) scored for Leipzig. For the third-place team in the Czech league, Lukas Letenay (3rd minute), Jan Buryan (18th minute), Filip Spatenka (46th minute), Matej Hybs (72nd minute), and Jan Jinoch (83rd minute) for the third-place team in the Czech league. Captain David Raum, who was not called up to the national team, and Castello Lukeba were unavailable for RB. The club cited load management as the reason. In addition, eleven players were absent as they had traveled to join their national teams.

Estève Slips Up and Scores

Only two youth players had to be called up to Leipzig’s starting lineup, which featured prominent names such as Rocco Reitz, Nkunku, Romulo, Benjamin Henrichs, and Lukas Klostermann. In goal, Leopold Zingergle, the regular third-string goalkeeper, also got some playing time.

Romulo equalized with a spectacular shot into the corner, before Leipzig fell behind again following a misplaced pass by Estève. The center back then scored with a header at the other end. Nkunku also scored with a header, tapping in the rebound after Bakayoko had previously hit the crossbar.

Just past the hour mark, Bakayoko scored himself. With a shot into the far corner, the winger may have gained some much-needed confidence. In the first-half matches so far, the 23-year-old—who arrived from Eindhoven in the summer of 2025 for 20 million euros—was often left out of the roster. The Czech player Hybs scored the most spectacular goal with a volley from 18 meters, before the visitors secured the victory in the closing stages.