BERLIN — Leipzig’s campaign is off to a troubling start as they find themselves without a victory in the last four matches.
The team is set to face a challenging fixture in the Champions League, where they have suffered losses in all four of their encounters so far.
In a recent Bundesliga clash, Leipzig surrendered a lead on three occasions, resulting in a 4-3 defeat to Hoffenheim, a team that was without a win in their previous three matches.
Despite the disappointing performance, Leipzig coach Marco Rose extended his congratulations to Christian Ilzer, who debuted as Hoffenheim’s coach following the dismissal of Pellegrino Matarazzo.
As Rose steers Leipzig, he must orchestrate a turnaround to avoid facing a similar fate as his predecessor, who was let go after a streak of poor results.
The loss on Saturday marked Leipzig’s third consecutive defeat on the road and highlighted their troubling tendency to throw away advantage, as they have failed to maintain a lead in five matches this season.
“This is undoubtedly a significant disappointment,” stated Marcel Schäfer, Leipzig’s sporting director, reflecting on the outcome of the weekend.
“We were eager to kick-off this demanding period leading up to Christmas on a positive note.”
Coach Rose lamented his team’s lack of intensity and focus following their goals.
“As a coach, I must take responsibility if I fail to ignite enough passion, bravery, and energy in my team before a Bundesliga match,” Rose remarked.
He emphasized the need to devise strategies to improve, stating, “We will work collectively to find solutions and recover from this.”
In anticipation of the upcoming match, Leipzig is scheduled to travel to Inter Milan for their next Champions League encounter on Tuesday.
“Time is of the essence,” Schäfer warned.
“You can’t afford to waste matches or jeopardize an entire year in your career.”
Meanwhile, midfielder Christoph Baumgartner is acutely aware of the challenge that lies ahead in Milan, where Inter boasts an impressive unbeaten run in 11 Champions League home games, conceding goals in just two of those matches.
“Progressing is going to be incredibly challenging for us now,” Baumgartner stated after their recent 3-1 defeat at Celtic.
“We’ve held the lead in three matches but ended up losing; mistakes like that in the Champions League can’t be overlooked.”
The struggles are not limited to the Champions League; they also plague their domestic league performance.
Following the match against Inter, Leipzig is set to welcome Wolfsburg on Saturday, followed by a fixture against in-form Eintracht Frankfurt in the third round of the German Cup on December 4, before traveling to Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga, where they currently trail league leaders Bayern Munich by eight points.
“The reality is, if we continue to perform in this manner, accumulating points in the Bundesliga will be a significant challenge,” Rose acknowledged.
“In addition to the results issue, we are grappling with performance problems.”