Skip to main content

"Football is a Result Sport" and Leipzig are Getting Just That



RB Leipzig continue their strong push in the 2020/21 Bundesliga campaign and a 2-1 win against Arminia Bielefeld has returned the East German club into title contention. Sitting just two points back of Bayern Munich, manager Julian Nagelsmann knows just how important every result is.

"Football is a results sport," said Nagelsmann after the team's win. "At the end of the day what matters is the result. Overall over 90 minutes it was definitely our worst performance of the season. We allowed so many clear scoring chances. Also, our pressing game and in possession were not good."

Harsh words from the young coach but it may be what the team needs to hear to keep them moving forward. Leagues have been decided by game such as this one where points are garnered with less than optimal performances. Last season, Leipzig was known for giving up late goals and conceding points. So much so that it allowed Munich and Dortmund to leap over them in the table.

The defining attribute of this season could boil down to the intangibles. Champions are sometimes labeled by their ability to perform above their talents and there are a few players doing just that on this Leipzig squad. One player in particular is Angelino. The Spanish winger has proven to be the most dangerous offensive player for the team and is an essential part of the selection each week.

"The team gives me confidence and provides me with chances," said Angelino who spent years working towards a spot in Manchester City to no avail. "Because we play high, I often find myself in dangerous positions near goal."

The other player that has shown an ability to change the game is Yussuf Poulsen. While he didn't appear in this weekend's game, he has shown an ability to find the back of then with shocking accuracy. Often overlooked when next to Timo Werner, Poulsen now has the chance to shine and has done so with two spectacular goals in the league thus far this season.

The schedule won't relent for Leipzig who now have to travel to Istanbul for their UEFA Champions League fixture on Wednesday. With no winter break for Bundesliga teams, it will be essential to pad their point total before the new year in order to cushion any blows that may come early in 2021. Thus far the results have continued and Leipzig are proving to be the title contender many have predicted them to be.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Red Bulls Announce Fan Experience Improvements

by Garry Redman On top of the theme nights announced this season, something new has been added the next time the season ticket holders and supporters step inside The Cathedral... The state-of-the-art LED lighting system at Red Bull Arena will provide higher on-field light levels for enhanced visibility and safety and introduce new entertainment features that heighten the overall experience for spectators.   Built around Musco's Total Light Control—TLC for LED™ technology, the new system is designed to provide exceptional playability and uniformity while minimizing glare. Cleaner, whiter light will elevate the broadcast quality for fans watching around the world.  Color-changing fixtures and Show-Light® Pro entertainment technology will allow the Red Bulls to wash the stadium in different colors and synchronize light shows to music, heightening the fan experience during goal celebrations, player introductions, and other big moments. If you have no idea what this means, cl...

Quotes: Red Bulls Show Promise, But More Work Need To Be Done

photo by Matt Kremkau Sixty seconds in a ninety-minute match. That’s all it took for Sporting Kansas City to ruin the Opening Day festivities at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night. The supporters in attendance saw crisp passing and a stout defense that kept the visitors at bay, despite not having striker Alan Pulido in the starting lineup. But significantly, the supporters were buoyed by a return to that press that has last seen since Jesse Marsch was in charge. But that was the first 45 minutes. In the second half, things turned for the better and then, shockingly, worse for the home side that evening. Midfielder Caden Clark, who scored the opening goal, spoke about the match as a whole: I’ve kept that in the back of my mind, actually, not scoring at home. I really wanted to do that in front of the supporters, and it was great to do that in front of the few that were here tonight who brought the noise. When I scored that [goal] the place was shaking, and you feed off of that and gai...

Editorial: New York Red Bulls are Fun to Watch

photo by Matt Kremkau by Daniel Feuerstein The New York Red Bulls 2024 season starts off and running. In their first three matches, they have looked different from their last five to six seasons of doom and despair when trying to attack or have a lapse in judgment on the defensive end. The two big editions for the club are undoubtedly the imports from Sweden in Centerback Noah Elle & attacking midfielder Emil Forsberg. Two players who are a part of the Swedish National Team have started off well in Major League Soccer. We all knew what we were getting right away from Forsberg. A high-energy creative and attacking midfielder who was already bought in from day one, when Director of Sport Jochen Schneider went to Leipzig and brought him over. He was already committed to making the trip to the United States to play his brand of soccer, and so far he hasn't disappointed. Even though he has come close three times off of free kicks, hitting the crossbar twice and being saved by the ke...