RB Leipzig's cup tie proceeds after concrete block removed

The guest entrance for RB Leipzig fans was blocked with concrete ahead of their DFB-Pokal match at Rot-Weiss Essen, but city workers cleared it and the game will go ahead as scheduled on Tuesday.

RB Leipzig's DFB-Pokal away match at Rot-Weiss Essen on Tuesday evening (18:00, Sky) was briefly overshadowed by a bizarre incident. Unknown individuals blocked the entrance to the away fan section at the stadium on Hafenstraße with fresh concrete inside a wooden frame. The city of Essen had the barrier removed before midday, allowing the second-round tie to proceed as scheduled.

Henrik Lerch, the managing director of Rot-Weiss Essen, commented on the action. "It was a nuisance of short duration," he said. The message "Bullen müssen heute draußen bleiben" (Bulls must stay outside today) was left at the blocked site. The act is attributed to some ultras of the third-division club. Around 550 travelling RB Leipzig fans can now attend the match as planned, with a total crowd of roughly 20,000 expected.

Squad concerns for Leipzig

For RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose, the sporting objective is most important. His team aims to reach the quarter-finals in Essen after a commanding 6-0 win against Trier in the first round. However, he will be without several key players. Christopher Nkunku remains absent with adductor problems, despite being the team's current top scorer with four goals in six season appearances. Maxime Estéve is also not in the squad due to a recent injury. Goalkeeper Örjan Nyland will start as usual, while the availability of Marek Janssen (back pain) is still unclear.

The Red Bulls travel with positive momentum. Last Saturday, the team won their Bundesliga home game against SV Elversberg 4-0. Goals from Tidiam Gomis, a brace from Rômulo and one from Christoph Baumgartner secured a third win in the last five competitive matches. In the Bundesliga, RB Leipzig currently sit fifth with 12 points from seven games. The next league assignment is on Saturday away at 16th-placed FC Schalke 04.

The Essen side are unbeaten at home this season. For RB Leipzig, however, the task is to secure their first away win of the current campaign in all competitions. The team can check the full squad for the upcoming challenges. After the cup tie, focus immediately shifts back to the league, where they trail leaders Bayern Munich by just five points.

More detail at Bild Sport