RB Leipzig will host PSV Eindhoven in their first Champions League home game of the season on Tuesday (9pm). The team of head coach Martín Demichelis aims to carry the momentum from a resounding 6-0 Bundesliga win over Eintracht Frankfurt last Saturday into Europe. The club currently sits fifth in the Bundesliga with nine points from five matches, having shown inconsistent form recently. In their first five league games, Leipzig scored 13 goals but also conceded 10.
Martín Demichelis, appointed in the summer, sees the match as a major opportunity. "The first home game in this Champions League season is an additional motivation," said Demichelis. Confirming their last performance must be an obligation, the Argentine added. The team is desperate to avoid reminders of last season's disappointing European campaign, where they recorded just one win and seven losses in the group stage before an early exit.
Demichelis on Bakayoko
A personnel issue ahead of the game was the absence of Johan Bakayoko from the Frankfurt match. Demichelis clarified it was an internal matter. "It was a minor thing, kept within the team. He is a good boy, we have discussed everything," the coach explained. Bakayoko will be at least in the squad for the PSV encounter. The club's management has publicly backed Demichelis recently, though the coach himself is aware of the ongoing scrutiny of his position.
Style clash against PSV
Opponents PSV Eindhoven are coached by Peter Bosz, whose playing philosophy is similar to that of RB Leipzig under Demichelis. Leipzig therefore wants to impose its own game with pace and pressure. In attack, they will rely on in-form Christopher Nkunku, who scored a hat-trick on Saturday and is the team's current top scorer with four goals this season, as well as Antonio Nusa and Ezechiel Banzuzi. Goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt showed strong saves and confidence against Frankfurt. The keeper made a total of six saves in the match against Frankfurt to keep a clean sheet.
The opening Champions League defeat in Como (4-1) in mid-September evoked memories of the weak 2024/25 European season. A win against PSV would be an important statement. The next Bundesliga test is an away match at Bayern Munich next Saturday.
More detail at Tagesschau
Despite the 6-0 rout against Frankfurt, coach Martín Demichelis is considering rotation for the Champions League match against PSV. "We could make two or three changes to bring in freshness," Demichelis said on Monday. A final decision is still pending, the coach stated. Demichelis also confirmed there are no new injuries. Christoph Baumgartner, Marc Guiu and Assan Ouedraogo remain the only absentees. The team is in fifth place with nine points.
Update, 2026-10-14 RB Leipzig won its first Champions League home game of the season 1-0 against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday. Brajan Gruda scored the decisive goal in the 75th minute. The club set a new professional record with the victory, the club stated. It was the ninth consecutive home competitive game without defeat. Goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt saved a penalty from Ivan Perišić during the match. The win extended RB Leipzig's current run to two consecutive victories.
Update, 2026-10-15 RB Leipzig faces FC Bayern Munich in a top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash on Saturday. The club sits in fifth place with nine points, according to current data. Both teams are among the most offensively potent in the league, the club stated. Bayern has scored 16 goals so far, while Leipzig has netted 15. "Here, two close competitors are playing against each other," the club said. RB Leipzig enters the match following a 1-0 home win against PSV Eindhoven.
