Bayern’s next opponent: What threats do RB Leipzig pose?

It hasn’t been a perfect start to life for Martín Demichelis at RB Leipzig. The Bayern legend lost away games at Como in the Champions League (4-1) and at Werder Bremen (3-1) and Bayer Leverkusen (2-0) in the Bundesliga prior to the international break. But Leipzig have returned to action with confidence-boosting back-to-back home victories over Eintracht Frankfurt (6-0) and PSV Eindhoven (1-0). Now Demichelis brings his new team to the Allianz Arena, where Leipzig visited twice last season and were sent home emptyhanded with 6-0 and 2-0 defeats in the Bundesliga and DFB Cup respectively.

New confidence

However, things have changed since last season. Leipzig handsomely beat Frankfurt last weekend to make it a new club record of eight consecutive home wins in the top flight. And it was a blistering start by Die Roten Bullen, going 2-0 up inside five minutes and holding a 4-0 lead at the break. “It’s a really important win for us after three weeks without a game. We showed a good reaction at the right moment,” Demichelis said after Saturday’s match. The question for the Argentine coach is whether his team can build on that, starting at the Allianz Arena – a game that’s sandwiched by Champions League clashes against PSV and Real Madrid, followed later by Manchester City.

Beware the fast start

Leipzig flew out of the blocks against Frankfurt, scoring inside the first minute through Ezechiel Banzuzi. Christopher Nkunku had a second only moments later. It was the first time that Die Roten Bullen had scored twice in the first five minutes of a Bundesliga home game. And conceding early goals has been a recent issue for Bayern, having been breached in the first two minutes against both Augsburg and Viking this week. Leipzig also kept up the tempo throughout the first half and struck twice more before the break. A total of 20 attempts on goal underlined their attacking threat, but it was still clear that Leipzig can struggle to control a game over 90 minutes.

Nkunku struck a hat-trick against Frankfurt to continue his good form since returning to Leipzig on loan from AC Milan in the summer. The French forward operates both on the last line and also between the spaces, looking to combine with midfield as they work their way into the box.

Nkunku is frequently supported by Romulo, Antonio Nusa and Brajan Gruda. The former is a classic centre-forward who looks to hold up the ball and create space for his teammates to run off him. Nusa brings pace and dynamism out wide, while Gruda hit the only goal of the game against PSV on Tuesday.

Leipzig look to build in a 4-3-3 formation, using different approaches to make life tough for opposition defences to track. They particularly like to get into the final third down the wings. From there, Nusa likes to run at defenders either down the outside or coming inside, looking to combine with Nkunku or Gruda.

Transitioning at pace

Leipzig have also rediscovered their traditional strength in transition. After winning possession, they look to burst into space or in behind the opposition defence. But their pressing also tends to leave them susceptible to being countered themselves when losing the ball. And Bayern have what it takes to hit them there.

Vulnerability

Leipzig also look to push their full-backs up the pitch, which again leaves spaces in behind. Bayern will therefore need to move quickly to make the most of those advantages whenever they win back possession. Conversely, Vincent Kompany’s men can’t allow Leipzig to do the same going the other way. Their quick front three don’t need much time or many touches to get into dangerous positions.

Renewed confidence

After a mixed bag of results at the start of the season, Leipzig will have built confidence after their wins over Frankfurt and PSV this week. Goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoort has also kept clean sheets, including a penalty save against the latter. Bayern will know that Leipzig have pace out wide, guile between the lines and players who can take their chances. Cutting out errors in distribution and having clarity on the ball will be key in avoiding potential Leipzig counters. And, as Bayern have seen twice themselves of late, doing that from the very first second is crucial.