Leipzig (Germany) (AFP) – RB Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi says head coach Julian Nagelsmann was right to question his players’ desire in the Bundesliga title race, just before they face rivals Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayern Munich in quick succession.
Leipzig’s lead over Bayern at the top was slashed to a single point last Saturday after they went down 2-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt, their first defeat in any competition since October.
Nagelsmann, their 32-year-old coach, responded to a disappointing performance by questioning whether his team has the right mentality to win the league for the first time in the club’s short history, calling them “still far from being a top team”.
“We need to decide whether or not we push towards the title, or whether we stay here, have something to eat and drink, and fall back into the pack,” he added.
Leipzig host third-placed Gladbach on Saturday, with a trip to face defending champions Bayern coming up next weekend.
“If you are completely honest, the coach was right,” Hungarian shot-stopper Gulacsi told AFP in Leipzig.
“We hadn’t implemented everything as we had discussed it during the week,” before the Frankfurt defeat.
“The coach chose the right moment, it was important, and right, to get the team fired up before this important phase against Moenchengladbach and Bayern.”
Leipzig entertain a Gladbach side sitting two points back in the title race, and any slip could let in Bayern, who face strugglers Mainz away on Saturday.
“We want a reaction. We want to bounce back, we want to show we have character,” said the 29-year-old Gulacsi, once on the books at Liverpool.
Leipzig won 3-1 away when the sides last met in August, but Gulacsi is wary of the threat posed by their attack, not least impressive French striker Alassane Plea.
“Their forward line has great speed and physical attributes, it’s going to be a difficult game, but we are ready and want the three points at home.”
Following the Frankfurt defeat, Leipzig’s stars were slammed by senior club figure Ralf Rangnick after a celebrity hairdresser flew over from England to give a group of players pre-match trims.
“After a game like that, it looks a bit unfortunate,” Gulacsi admitted. “But the matter had no direct impact on the game and each player must know what he needs to get his best performance the next day.”
After facing Gladbach and Bayern, Leipzig, who were only founded in 2009, play their first ever Champions League knock-out tie against Tottenham Hotspur, with the first leg in London on February 19.
from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/2UaRrGs
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