RB Leipzig kicked off their Champions League marketing campaign with a 2-1 defeat away to Atlético Madrid, as their inconsistent begin to the season continues to hang-out them.

Regardless of having ended Bayer Leverkusen’s exceptional unbeaten run on German soil earlier than the worldwide break. Die Roten Bullen had didn’t encourage in each of their house fixtures towards VfL Bochum and Union Berlin, leaving query marks surrounding the power of Marco Rose’s aspect.

Nonetheless, after an exhilarating first 5 minutes, Leipzig had appeared to silence a few of their critics after slicing by way of Atlético to take an early lead, however their onerous work can be undone with an Antoine Griezmann purpose that finally took the momentum away from the guests for the rest of the half.

After the interval, the rhythm of the sport would stay largely the identical, with Atlético wanting essentially the most threatening, however because the tie heading in the direction of a draw, the hosts would discover a winner by way of a towering José María Giménez header.

For Leipzig, they style defeat for the primary time this season, however this efficiency shouldn’t be in isolation, and cracks on the membership are starting to indicate.

Is Marco Rose nonetheless the precise head coach for RB Leipzig?

When Rose took over at Leipzig in September 2022, there was nice expectation positioned upon the previous Borussia Dortmund head coach to show the fortunes of the membership round having drifted away from the membership’s DNA below Domenico Tedesco.

Immediately, the Leipzig native made his impression felt on the Purple Bull Area, blitzing previous Borussia Dortmund in his first sport in command of the membership.

For the rest of the 2022/23 marketing campaign, no different aspect picked up extra factors than Leipzig within the Bundesliga from the second Rose was appointed, leaving many to imagine that had he been on the helm from the start of the season, then Die Roten Bullen would have been topped German champions.

However, final season, whereas Leipzig had been capable of boast victories towards Dortmund and Stuttgart, in addition to pushing Bayer Leverkusen all the way in which, it was their performances towards the Bundesliga’s bottom-half sides that drew criticism from these exterior of the membership.

Defeats to Wolfsburg and Mainz mixed with attracts to the likes of Bochum and Augsburg prevented the Saxons from pushing previous Bayern Munich and Stuttgart within the desk, and for a membership that must be competing for the Meisterschale on an annual foundation, these outcomes are merely not adequate.

In addition to this, Rose’s Champions League historical past is way from spectacular.

Regardless of having a victory towards Actual Madrid below his belt, a 7-0 defeat to Manchester Metropolis and the failure to progress previous the spherical of 16 have seen Leipzig stall of their development as a membership.

Now being on this third season in cost, Rose has but to show Leipzig right into a aspect of the calibre of competing for the Bundesliga or the Champions League, not to mention successful both competitors, and this season, they don’t seem any completely different.

Whereas they did outplay Die Werkself, poor house performances to Bochum and Union Berlin have emphasised that they’ve but to push themselves to the subsequent stage below Rose.

On high of this, towards Atlético, whereas Die Roten Bullen began nicely, after scoring, they collapsed, and their Achilles heel of failing to regulate a sport and construct momentum prevented them as soon as once more from taking three factors away from the Spanish capital.

For the expertise on supply to Rose, there is no such thing as a doubt that the membership must be acting at a better stage, particularly contemplating that Xabi Alonso turned Leverkusen from relegation contenders to undefeated champions in a smaller time-frame.

In virtually three years, Rose has been unable to kind a aspect able to acting at a world-class stage on a constant foundation, they usually seem to not be ascending of their improvement.

Only a matter of weeks in the past, Leipzig appeared like favourites to win the Bundesliga, however having unimpressed towards Union, they’ve now faltered of their first look in Europe this season.

After underwhelming as soon as once more within the Champions League, it might actually be urged that Rose doesn’t have that a lot time left to show Die Roten Bullen into the elite-level aspect they need to be.

GGFN | Will Shopland