Juranovic reckons Parkhead cauldron will test nerves of panto villains Leipzig
BEING pitched into a hostile atmosphere probably won’t come as any great shock to the players of RB Leipzig.
Since their formation in 2009 and subsequent rise through the leagues, they have carved a fairly niche reputation for themselves.
Every year without fail, there will be an opinion poll from Bundesliga fans which states that Leipzig are by far and away the most hated club in German football.
The resentment stems from their ownership model and the lavish funding which, in the eyes of rival supporters, has allowed the club to buy success.
A few years ago, Borussia Dortmund fans boycotted an away match at Leipzig because they didn’t want the gate money going into the Leipzig coffers.
‘RasenBallsport (the term used to avoid explicit links to Red Bull) is an assault on everything which fascinates us about our sport,’ read a statement from a Dortmund supporters’ group.
‘We will never accept a corporation exploiting football as a marketing platform for its product.’
Leipzig have grown accustomed over recent years to playing in hostile environments. It is pretty much the norm any time they play away from home in the Bundesliga.
An increasing level of success over recent seasons would indicate that it doesn’t particularly bother them much. But a Champions League visit to Celtic Park on Tuesday night will be new territory for their talented young players.
Leipzig last visited Parkhead in November 2018, but that was for a relatively tame Europa League contest which Celtic won 2-1.
This time, the stakes are far higher. Celtic Park is guaranteed to be at its loudest and most colourful.
After a 3-1 loss in Germany last Wednesday, Celtic badly need a victory to boost their chances of reaching the knockout stages.
For Josip Juranovic, the atmosphere is something which he expects will test the nerve of the Leipzig players.
‘Germany was a difficult night but this is a fresh opportunity for us, both in terms of making it right against RB and improving our position in the group,’ said the Croatian full-back.
‘We have gone to
Leipzig and Shakhtar, now it is their turn to come to our home.
‘I think everyone knows it is no easy thing for an opposition team to come up against us at Celtic Park because of the unbelievable support we have there.
‘You saw in Germany the amazing backing we got from our fans — and that was a small fraction of the numbers who will be behind us in Glasgow in these games.
‘Ask any of the players and they will tell you the backing makes a big difference. If we can win these games — as I am sure we can — then we can progress through the group.’
Some of the individual talents in the Leipzig team came to the fore in the game in Germany. In particular, Christopher Nkunku was too hot to handle.
Nkunku offers a blend of pace, skill, movement, vision, passing and lethal finishing ability. It is difficult to bracket him as a striker, or a winger, or an attacking midfielder. Truthfully, he can do it all.
It is for this reason that Chelsea are reported to have already agreed terms with the Frenchman for a deal in excess of £50million next summer.
Juranovic recognises some of the individual talents Leipzig possess, with his fellow Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol also a big-money target for several Premier League clubs. But he feels that team spirit and togetherness could still take Celtic a long way in the competition as they look to bounce back from last week’s defeat.
‘RB have some very talented footballers, there is no doubt,’ said Juranovic. ‘That is okay, this is the Champions League and everyone knows the standard at this level is the best.
‘It is where we want to be and I love the challenge of playing against top, top footballers.
‘You can look at a player like Nkunku and see that with his pace and skill he is very hard to stop. However, we know that if we work together we can do it.’
Celtic keeper Joe Hart was at fault for Leipzig’s second goal in Germany, a wayward pass ending up with Andre Silva slotting the ball into the net.
It was a moment from which Celtic never recovered, but Juranovic has backed the veteran keeper to make amends in the return fixture in Glasgow.
He added: ‘Joe is our second leader, a great character and an excellent goalkeeper. He made a mistake in Germany but there is no way it will break him because he is a champion. He has been so for many
years.’