RB LEIPZIG
Continuing to make rapid progress
The Roten Bullen, as ambitious as they are lavishly funded, passed a crucial milestone in their elite project last term, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history. In victories against Zenit, Tottenham and Atletico Madrid, the Leipziger very much looked the part in the upper echelons of the European game: tactically astute, unified and compact, calm under pressure and opportunistic in “big-point” moments. Great work by boy wonder coach Julian Nagelsmann, who at just 33, is now the youngest boss to guide a team to the Champions League last four.
The Saxon club have come a long way in a short time. They have just 16 Champions League fixtures under their belt and last season was only their second campaign in the competition. It’s worth noting that in their inaugural appointment with the Euro big boys in 2017-18, they did not even qualify from the group phase. “It’s been a crazy journey,” says Nagelsmann. Sensible decision-making, sound planning and continuity have been the watchwords of the RB success story. Sticking to a clear philosophy – concentrating on the recruitment of young talents and employing a fast-paced, direct playing style – they have built step-by-step. What’s remarkable is how little their personnel has changed in recent times. Of the group which beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the quarter-finals last campaign, no fewer than seven of them featured in the squad which won promotion to the Bundesliga back in 2016.