13.12.2024

Can RB Leipzig topple mighty Bayern Munich?

If there is one major litmus test for how good a Bundesliga team really is, it is how they fare against Bayern Munich. RB Leipzig will face that test twice this week. On Wednesday, they host Bayern in the second round of the German Cup, before travelling to Munich for Saturday’s league clash at the Allianz Arena.

Luckily for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men, the formidable double bill comes just as they have rediscovered their best form. Having blown hot and cold at the start of the season, Leipzig are now back to their dangerous best.

Last week saw them claim a maiden victory in the Champions League, while wins against Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart have catapulted them back into the top three. Just a point behind Dortmund and Bayern, Leipzig are once again muscling in on the title race.

RB Leipzig are back in form and hunting down Bayern Munich and Dortmund in the Bundesliga

RB Leipzig are back in form and hunting down Bayern Munich and Dortmund in the Bundesliga

Thomas Muller (left) will be absent when Ralph Hasenhuettl leads his side into this week’s crunch double-header, with Leipzig playing Bayern in both the league and German cup

‘There is a lot at stake on Wednesday,’ said coach Hasenhuttl ahead of the cup tie this week. ‘We want to show how far we have come.’

Thomas Muller will be absent when Leipzig take on Bayern in this week's crunch double-header

Leipzig have certainly come far. Founded in 2009, they have enjoyed a remarkable and unstoppable rise to the very top of the German game. That is, to a large extent, down to their financial backers Red Bull, but it is also testament to the fearlessness of a young squad. Forward Marcel Sabitzer has promised fireworks in this week’s clashes with Bayern, and it is that attitude which has carried Leipzig to dizzying heights in the last few years.

Leipzig boss Ralph Hasenhuettl will lead his men into action

Only on the few occasions that they have surrendered to self-doubt have Leipzig suffered major setbacks. That happened last December in a 3-0 defeat by Bayern. It also happened in Istanbul last month, when they went down 2-0 against Besiktas.

If the current mood is anything to go by, however, Bayern should not expect Leipzig to be daunted this week. ‘It always gives you a boost when you are putting in good performances,’ forward Emil Forsberg told Sportsmail. ‘We have a lot of confidence at the moment.’

Much of that confidence is down to their attacking form. Star striker Timo Werner has been sidelined for the last few weeks, but even without him, the team has been brilliant going forward.

Midfielder Marcel Sabitzer (right) has formed one part of a formidable attacking line-up

Midfielder Marcel Sabitzer (right) has formed one part of a formidable attacking line-up

Timo Werner is the star of the show up front and Europe's big clubs are all watching 

Timo Werner is the star of the show up front and Europe’s big clubs are all watching

Emil Forsberg says that ‘anything is possible’ when his side take on the might of Bayern

Against Porto, the front four of Bruma, Marcel Sabitzer, Forsberg and Jean-Kevin Augustin worked in irresistible harmony, shredding the Portuguese defence and netting three goals before half-time.

‘I’ve known Sabitzer for a while now, and we play very well together,’ said Forsberg. ‘I also get on very well with Bruma and Augustin. We want to play great football, and we want to play together.’

Leipzig are third in the Bundesliga table

Leipzig are third in the Bundesliga table

Add Werner to that mix, and you have a front line capable of hurting any team in the world. With his 21 goals last season and five this season, the diminutive striker has caught the eye of Europe’s top clubs. Give him a sniff of a chance, and his bulldoggish gait gives way to lightning acceleration and, more often than not, deadly finishing.

That is the force which awaits Bayern this week. If Leipzig can fire on all cylinders and take a good result from even one of the two games, then the prospect of winning a first major trophy will certainly become realistic.

Knock Bayern out of the cup, even at this early stage, and they will naturally be among the favourites to win the entire tournament. Beat them in the league, and Leipzig would overtake Bayern in the table, and have the confidence of having won in both Munich and Dortmund.

That is why there is a lot at stake this week. These two fixtures are both an immense challenge and an immense opportunity for the Red Bull-backed pretenders. ‘Nothing is easy when it comes to Bayern,’ warned Forsberg. ‘But we are looking forward to the games. Anything is possible.’

Indeed. With the right amount of fearlessness, their current attacking form, and perhaps a bit of luck, anything is possible.

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