BERLIN — Jürgen Klopp observed with a satisfied grin as Leipzig secured a 4-2 victory against Werder Bremen, reclaiming the fourth position in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
Klopp, who previously managed Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund, and Mainz, began his role as Red Bull’s head of global soccer on January 1. This match marked his first opportunity to witness the organization’s German team in competitive action.
The 21-year-old midfielder Xavi Simons took the lead by scoring the opening goal, subsequently responding to an equalizer from Mitchell Weiser, before Benjamin Šeško, also 21, extended Leipzig’s lead to 3-1 with an impressive long-range effort during the second half.
Both players, Simons and Šeško, embody the type of gifted young athletes that Klopp is expected to nurture and attract to the acquiring Red Bull network of clubs.
In the final moments of the game, Christoph Baumgartner added a goal for Leipzig, while Oliver Burke of Bremen found the net in stoppage time.
On Saturday, Klopp was present in Paris to watch second-division team Paris FC secure a 1-0 victory over Amiens. A key part of his role in France involves transforming the club into a formidable team under the ownership of the wealthy Arnault family, known for their luxury business empire LVMH. The family’s acquisition of the second-tier side includes enlisting Red Bull as a minority partner.
Thus far this season, Leipzig has had a challenging run, failing to win any matches in the Champions League and dropping points in seven out of 16 Bundesliga games.
In the late game, Germany’s Deniz Undav made a notable return from injury, leading Stuttgart to a narrow 1-0 win against Augsburg.
Having been sidelined since November 6 due to a hamstring injury, followed by another muscle issue in practice, Undav came on as a substitute in the 61st minute and swiftly found the back of the net just four minutes later, assisted by Angelo Stiller.
With this victory, Stuttgart, who finished as last season’s runners-up, moved up to seventh place in the league, narrowly ahead of Borussia Dortmund.
In a notable debut, 18-year-old American defender Noahkai Banks stepped onto the pitch for Augsburg, replacing the injured Maximilian Bauer in the 29th minute.
In the broader league standings, Bayern Munich holds the top spot, sitting four points ahead of last season’s champions Bayer Leverkusen after 16 matches. This positions Bayern as the unofficial “Herbstmeister” or autumn champion, a title awarded at the halfway point of the season.
