Champions League
“Hot dance”: Leipzig wants to reach the round of 16 in Belgrade
FLeipzig’s players around Yussuf Poulsen (r) celebrate after Raum’s goal to make it 1-0. photo
© Jan Woitas/dpa
With a win at Red Star Belgrade, RB Leipzig can move into the knockout phase of the Champions League. There was already a foretaste of the atmosphere in the first leg.
RB Leipzig needs another win and help from Manchester City in order to reach the round of 16 earlier than ever before in the club’s history To make the Champions League perfect. “We have created a good starting position. And now we should try to use it with great confidence,” said coach Marco Rose after the 3-1 win against Red Star Belgrade. A win in the second leg and a simultaneous point win for Manchester against Young Boys Bern would be enough for a ticket to the round of 16 after just four group games.
A bit untypical for Leipzig, which only secured second place in the group on the last matchday. For Yussuf Poulsen, this development also has something to do with the experience from several years in the premier class. “Probably yes. But also a bit of luck that the other results are like this. In any case, we have six points after three games. That’s a very, very good starting position for me,” said the Danish international striker.
Rose expects the game at Belgrade’s legendary Marakana on November 6 to be “certainly a hot dance”. More than 55,000 fans will roar Red Star forward with passion, just like 3,500 already did in Leipzig. “It’s one of the hottest stadiums in Europe. We’re looking forward to it,” said midfielder Christoph Baumgartner. Rose already traveled to Belgrade with Salzburg in 2018, but the game took place without spectators due to a penalty.
Sports director Rouven Schröder expects an “incredible atmosphere”. “You’ve seen games there in the past, even as a small child,” said the 48-year-old. “There was a fire lit in the stands.” At the same time, the sports director warned not to overestimate the good starting position: “We got off to a good start with six points, but despite everything, the group phase is not over yet.”