RB Leipzig’s coach, Marco Rose, has dismissed the memory of last season’s devastating 7-0 loss to Manchester City as “history,” as the two teams gear up to face each other once again in the UEFA Champions League clash set to take place in Germany on Wednesday.
Manchester City’s dominant victory in the previous campaign’s Round of 16 first-leg tie left a significant mark, with Erling Haaland putting on a remarkable performance by netting five goals in just 60 minutes. This victory was a crucial stepping stone for the English side en route to clinching their first-ever Champions League title.
Speaking in Leipzig on Tuesday, Marco Rose stated, “It wasn’t part of our preparation for the game, because it’s history. Everything clicked for them in that match, and naturally, we were extremely dissatisfied with the magnitude of the result. But we’re in a new season, and our current form is quite commendable.”
Leipzig has enjoyed a strong start to the season, securing victories in seven out of nine matches across all competitions. They head into the match after a hard-fought 2-2 draw at home against German champions Bayern Munich.
Reflecting on their previous encounter against City, where Leipzig managed to hold their opponents to a 1-1 draw at home, Rose found reasons for optimism, saying, “We know that we performed very well at home, and for that to happen again tomorrow, we have to put in a lot of effort and be prepared to endure.”
When asked if he considered Manchester City to be the best team in the world, Rose replied affirmatively, stating, “Yes.” However, he emphasized that this acknowledgment doesn’t change their approach to the match, stating, “It’s football, and we will be playing 11 against 11. We are well aware of City’s quality, and we will need a top-notch performance along with a bit of luck.”
Manchester City enters the game in an unusual run of poor form, having suffered two consecutive defeats for the first time since January. Additionally, they will be without midfielders Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.
Despite the absences, Rose praised City’s squad depth, noting, “Even when de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva are missing, they have quality replacements like (Mateo) Kovacic and Phil Foden, who has shown significant development.”
Rose expressed anticipation at facing Josko Gvardiol, who made the switch from Leipzig to City during the summer transfer window, describing the Croatian center-back as “a great player and a great guy.”
In terms of team news, Rose confirmed that wing-back Benjamin Henrichs would be unavailable due to injury, and Spanish international forward Dani Olmo would also be sidelined as he continues his recovery from injury. However, former Chelsea forward Timo Werner is expected to make a return to the squad after recovering from a back complaint.
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