RB Leipzig must go to Augsburg. A club record beckons. But for that to happen, the chronic away weakness must be put aside.
In the past, Leipzig have always been reluctant to travel to Augsburg because of the distant and sometimes even hostile atmosphere they regularly encountered from the fans and, above all, from FCA club boss Klaus Hofmann. This makes RB’s sporting record against their unfancied opponents all the more astonishing: Augsburg have gone winless in their last seven encounters, and the last four games have all ended in RB victories. Should Leipzig win again on Wednesday, it would set a club record. The only club to have won five matches in a row was VfB Stuttgart, who were dispatched 4-0 on matchday two.
Another statistic speaks against the Leipzigers. For more than seven months, since the 4:1 at Werder Bremen on 10 April, RB has been waiting for a win away from home in the Bundesliga. In the current away table, the Saxons occupy penultimate place with just three points, ahead of SpVgg Greuther Fürth. “I’ve already heard about it, we haven’t really scored that many points away from home,” says new coach Domenico Tedesco about the already chronic away weakness, the reasons for which are also a mystery to him.
I’ve already heard about it, we haven’t really scored that many points away from home.
“It’s hard to explain and it can’t be our ambition. If you look at the games, it was always other factors. There is no one argument that beats everything,” said Tedesco. For him, it is therefore important that we show the same courage as we do at home.
The superior 4-1 victory against Borussia Mönchengladbach in his debut match was like a liberation after the leaden performances under his predecessor Jesse Marsch. “The team is in a good mood, they are up for it, we will go into the game accordingly, “, predicted Tedesco ahead of the clash at FCA, who will have to play their home game as a ghost match due to the Corona-related conditions.
In terms of personnel and tactics, Tedesco will in all likelihood change little or nothing compared to the Gladbach game. The three-man backline, which he opted for after consulting the team council, has proved its worth, he said, as has the personnel selection. “When things work, especially in a situation where the team does not yet have such security and stability, it already makes sense to leave certain things in place,” was the new coach’s assessment.
Haidara and Klostermann on the move
At least in the squad, he could possibly get two more alternatives. The recently injured Amadou Haidara (ankle) and Lukas Klostermann (muscular problems) are working their way closer to the team bit by bit. Tedesco wanted to decide whether it would be enough for the trip to Augsburg based on the impressions of the final training session. Marcel Halstenberg also took part for the first time this season. The national defender, who was set back by knee surgery, still needs several weeks of rehabilitation before he can be an alternative again.
