RB Leipzig host Hamburger SV at the Red Bull Arena on Sunday (13:30 UTC), urgently seeking a fresh start after two heavy away defeats. Marco Rose's side comes off losses at Werder Bremen (1-3) and Como (1-4) and sits ninth in the Bundesliga table with three points from two matches.
Recent Form
The last two matches have raised questions. Following a confident 3-0 home win over Borussia Mönchengladbach came two setbacks. In Italy, Andrija Maksimović did score from a Christopher Nkunku assist to make it 1-2, but the defence ultimately conceded four goals. The team has scored four goals this season but also let in three.
Rose will need to adjust his team. In the last starting XI against Como, Maksimović and Nkunku played from the start, while the defence featuring Willi Orbán and Castello Lukeba came under pressure.
The Hamburg Opponent
Hamburger SV arrive after a 0-5 home thrashing by Mainz 05. However, the Hanseatic side also showed strong performances earlier, as evidenced by away wins at Toulouse and Verl. Coach Tim Walter last used a back three with Sebastian Bornauw and John Anthony Torunarigha. Playmakers like Albert Grønbaek and midfield strategist Nicolas Capaldo need to be contained in midfield.
For RB Leipzig, this home game before the upcoming international break is key. A win would not only boost morale but also provide confidence ahead of the difficult away fixture at Bayer Leverkusen on September 20.
The team worked intensively on defensive organisation in training on Tuesday. Rose emphasised the need to be focused from the first minute in his press conference. "We have to rediscover our standards and perform as a unit," the manager said. The latest results and the current league table are always up to date on our standings overview. The match against Hamburg is the final competitive fixture before the international break.
