Leipzig’s game against Mainz reveals Marsch’s sore spot

RB Leipzig’s game against Mainz revealed Marsch’s sore spot, the best player in the Bundesliga does not play for FC Bayern Munich and Hertha’s cause of the optimistic mood is over for now. The theses for the 1st matchday of the Bundesliga.

Bayern does not have the best player in the league

Robert Lewandowski scored 41 goals last season, was named Germany’s Footballer of the Year, Europe’s Footballer of the Year and World Footballer. As a single player, Lewandowski had the most spectacular season in the history of the Bundesliga, none of which was as good as the Pole before. Since Bayern have dominated the Bundesliga at will, the record champions have been the footballer of the year in six out of nine cases, with Marco Reus (2019) only one player who has both a German passport and plays in the Bundesliga. Kevin de Brunye (VfL Wolfsburg) and Reals Toni Kroos were the other two exceptions.

Now predictions after a matchday are perhaps a little premature, but what Erling Haaland showed against Eintracht Frankfurt and what a bombastic shape the Norwegian is in, suggests that the best, most spectacular player of this season does not wear a shirt from FC Bayern Munich. Because Haaland has, in addition to his footballing and physical prerequisites, something that only happens once every jubilee year: Even fans of other clubs want to see this player play. Because it’s so extraordinary and there doesn’t seem to be a limit for this 21-year-old.

Leipzig’s game against Mainz reveals Marsch’s sore spot

Leipzig’s game against Mainz was reminiscent of some of the lows of last season in many phases. In the games against so-called small opponents such as Cologne, Hoffenheim and Mainz, Leipzig stumbled too often and therefore didn’t even have the chance to intervene in the fight for the title in the end. Now some believe that the team is still there, even if one or the other top performer is no longer there. Especially since Andre Silva finally has the scorer in the squad who was so sorely missed last season. It was Leipzig’s biggest problem that the team did not have a real clipper like Bayern, Dortmund or Wolfsburg, which, in case of doubt, can make a mess of a tight game.

Something like now in Mainz, where the team revealed massive problems against a low opponent. And with it, in a way, the sore point of the new coach Jesse Marsch. Under Julian Nagelsmann, Leipzig had a good mix of RB-DNA with a lot of switching football and that certain something in terms of positional play. Despite numerous successes with Red Bull Salzburg, Marsch is not a proven expert in dominant possession football. But that is exactly what will be important in the majority of the games. Most opponents should face Leipzig in about the same way as Mainz on Sunday, with a deep defensive block, with a lot of passion and willingness to make sacrifices. On the other hand, playful solutions are needed and not just 17 crosses from Angelino’s half-field, in the good hope of a buyer in the center.