After the international break and a weekend of Portuguese Cup action, attention now turns to the Champions League with a potentially thrilling tie in store on Tuesday night in Germany between RB Leipzig and FC Porto.
Porto have been in superb form this season, winning 9 drawing 1 and losing 1 of their 11 matches in all competitions, but now face a tough task as Sérgio Conceição’s team travel to one of Europe’s emerging forces.
Leipzig currently lie in third place in the Bundesliga and have built a reputation for their fast-paced attacking approach. PortuGOAL’s Matthew Marshall, currently stationed in Germany, runs the rule over Ralph Hasenhüttl’s outfit.
Current form. How have RB Leipzig looked in the new season so far?
Leipzig have had an inconsistent start to the season, largely due to some poor results away from home including the opening day 2-0 loss at Schalke, a 1-0 loss at Augsburg and a 2-0 defeat at Besiktas in their last Champions League game. They have however won their last two games, both away from home, a 2-1 win at Koln and a sensational 3-2 win against league leading Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
Ones to watch - who are Leipzig’s star players?
Timo Werner has emerged to be one of the best young strikers in football after his move from Stuttgart to Leipzig last season. He scored 21 Bundesliga goals to earn a place at the Confederations Cup last summer, where he played a large role in Germany’s success by winning the Golden Boot award. Werner was substituted early at Besiktas and has been out injured since, but he was back on the bench in Dortmund which signals a start against Porto.
Naby Keïta missed the 1-1 draw against Monaco and was poor at Besiktas, but he is ready to start here and a strong performance wouldn’t be a surprise. He is a complete box-to-box midfielder with all the skills, and watching Keïta regularly it’s easy to see why Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp were willing to spend big to secure the 22-year-old.
Strong points/weak points – what must Porto beware of and what can they exploit?
Leipzig are a team that likes to dominate possession, currently the third highest in the Bundesliga with 56.3%. They also love to press their opponents high up the pitch and spring rapid counter attacks using the pace of Werner and Augustin, and the passing ability of Forsberg and Keïta.
Porto might be able to exploit a defence that has failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven games and none at home this season. Central defence could be an issue, Stefan Ilsaker had a nightmare against Dortmund but is likely to be replaced by Willi Orban, Dayot Upamecano is a quality player but just 18-years-old and lacking experience.
Formation and playing style – what system do Leipzig usually play? Would you describe them generically as an attacking team or a defensive team?
Leipzig play a straight up 4-4-2 with wingers that tend to have a bit of freedom, in particular Emil Forsberg. Leipzig are packed with young, fast and hungry players that play a high tempo, aggressive brand of football. They definitely have to be described as an attacking team.
What are the local press saying about the Champions League draw? Do they expect Leipzig to progress from the group?
I think there was cautious optimism after the draw because Group G is a tremendously competitive group full of high-class teams. Leipzig are also inexperienced at this level so it was always going to be a difficult assignment, but the opening two results have placed extra importance on this match. A loss against Porto here and their Champions League campaign is effectively over.
Mood in the camp – judging by player/coach quotes regarding this game, do you think Leipzig come into the match in a confident frame of mind?
Most of the talk has been reaction to the 3-2 win in Dortmund which was arguably the Bundesliga game of the season thus far. Striker Yussuf Poulsen summed the win up by saying: “We gave a great performance from beginning to end today. We played attacking football, set up great chances and we reaped the rewards with three great goals. In my opinion, this was our best performance so far this season.” There is no doubt Leipzig will be full of confidence against Porto.
How has Bruma settled in so far? Give us a quick update on his progress.
Bruma knew he had a fight on his hands to earn a spot in the team ahead of Emil Forsberg, but also knew there would be opportunities with guaranteed Champions League football. The Portuguese winger has played the full 90 minutes in Leipzig’s last two games, saving his best performance for the 3-2 win at Dortmund on Saturday. He produced a memorable assist for Poulsen’s goal, utilising his trickery and pace to beat and embarrass Dortmund right-back Jeremy Toljan twice in quick succession.
What do you think the result of the match will be?
Manager Ralph Hasenhüttl will be desperate for Leipzig to use the Dortmund result as a springboard into a run of consistent performances. The German side need to win this home game and with Forsberg, Werner and Naby Keita set to start, Leipzig can definitely trouble Porto. Sérgio Conceição’s side have been incredibly hard to beat this season, beating Monaco 3-0 away from home so they should have no fear here. I think we are likely to see an open game with both teams attacking, so a score draw is likely. 2-2.
By Matthew Marshall (Twitter: @noobzcorp)
