Leipzig bounce back but Bundesliga campaign a challenge

Berlin — RB Leipzig were under pressure before Wednesday’s German Cup win over in-form Eintracht Frankfurt pulled them out of a winless rut and they are now hoping that momentum will spill over to the Bundesliga when they visit lowly Holstein Kiel on Saturday.

The Champions League club had gone six games without a win in all competitions, having lost five of them, and coach Marco Rose’s job was hanging by a thread before their 3-0 victory over Eintracht provided much-needed respite.

“I would be lying if I said that this was not very good for us, for all of us,” Rose told reporters. “We were already with our backs to the wall.

“The road from wanting to actually doing had been difficult in the past weeks. There are such phases but this win was confirmation we can do it. On Saturday we need to keep going. We need to get back on a winning track in the Bundesliga,” he said.

Leipzig, whose bad Bundesliga run included consecutive defeats in their past two matches with a 5-1 thrashing at home to Wolfsburg last time out, have dropped to fourth in the table, nine points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich who have 30.

They will need to bag three points at second-bottom Kiel if they are to stay in touch with the top spots.

“When you have played football for a few years you know such moments as we have had recently which we could do without,” Rose said. “In these phases you need to have faith in yourself.”

Leipzig, who host Aston Villa in the Champions League on Tuesday, could not have chosen better opponents than Kiel as they eye their first league win since late October.

Promoted Kiel have struggled with five defeats in their past six league games and are deep in relegation trouble in 17th place with just one win from 12 league games.

Bayern, who are four points clear of second-placed Eintracht, will look to bounce back from Tuesday's German Cup last-16 exit to holders Bayer Leverkusen — their first defeat in the league or Cup this season — when they host Heidenheim on Saturday.

They are still without top striker Harry Kane who is recovering from a muscle injury.

Eintracht, whose seven-game winning run in all competitions ended with defeat by Leipzig, host Augsburg on Saturday. Champions Leverkusen, who are third on 23 points, host St Pauli.

Reuters