New boys Leipzig show they belong

– RB Leipzig have proved they can compete at the top level of European football, coach Ralph Hasenhuettl said after the German club’s 1-1 draw with Monaco on their Champions League debut on Wednesday night.

“We have made our first steps here. We played well against a strong opponent, and showed we can compete at this level,” he said.

Leipzig picked up a point from their first ever Champions League fixture, after Emil Forsberg’s first-half opener was quickly cancelled out by Monaco’s Youri Tielemans.

The Leipzig coach admitted he felt his team could have taken all three points and said both he and his players had been cautious as they made their first foray into the tournament.

“I think everyone noticed that we weren’t as calm on the ball and that we didn’t take as many risks as usual.”

It is nearly 30 years since the city of Leipzig, where the German Football Federation was founded, has hosted a game in European club competition. The historical significance, Hasenhuettl said, had not escaped him and his team.

The Austrian even broke with his usual touchline dress code of tracksuit and trainers, donning a suit to mark the occasion of RB’s Champions League debut.

“The players started laughing when I came to give the team talk, because they’re not used to seeing me in a suit.”

Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim, meanwhile, told reporters that his team’s lack of potency going forward was down to the personnel changes he had endured during the summer, most notably the departure of Kylian Mbappé to Paris Saint Germain.

“Every season, it’s different,” said Jardim.

“It’s a new team. You can’t compare this team to the one we had last season or the one we had two seasons ago.” – AFP