RB Leipzig badly beaten - "We face a mountain of work"

RB Leipzig's season opener against FC Bayern Munich was smashed and left a lot to be desired. Coach Ole Werner was brutally reminded that there are still many flaws.

"Do you know if RB Leipzig went into the Bayern match without any preseason training? Did they just come back from vacation by any chance?" "I've loved this club and our playing philosophy since I was a little kid. What I saw today was horrific. Even Daniel Frahn and Coltorti could have performed better against Bayern back then."

Social media was full of criticism and derision after RB Leipzig's 6-0 opening defeat at FC Bayern Munich . However, it wasn't their heaviest opening defeat. Schalke 04 holds that "record." In 2020, the Royal Blues lost 8-0 at Bayern Munich and were ultimately relegated without a fight. RB Leipzig doesn't want to let it get that far.

The heavy defeat, however, made it clear that RB Leipzig still has a lot of work to do. Leipzig were knocked out early and were, at best, a sparring partner for the strong Bayern. Coach Ole Werner was completely fed up after the disastrous debut. "That was a disastrous performance. We gave up as the game went on – that shouldn't happen to us. The only thing that helps is to address these things firmly and work through them," said the former Bremen player after the thrashing at the start of the Bundesliga season. They have a mountain of work to do, Werner stated.

RB made things far too easy for Bayern, giving the ball away quickly and failing to establish any security in the game. "We weren't able to relieve pressure for long periods," complained the coach, who will have a lot to do in recovering and recovering. Things were crumbling in many places.

What probably bothers Werner most is the fact that his team fell apart at times, didn't act as a unit, and surrendered to their fate. "After the 4-1 goal wasn't given, we surrendered to a certain extent. That shouldn't happen to us, but it did. We'll work through things. That will certainly become clear. We need to develop a different energy as a team," said the 37-year-old after the final whistle.

Captain David Raum also had strong words. "Today was a disaster. We got a direct hit," said Raum. The international player particularly lamented the lack of toughness in the tackles. "You win tackles with mentality and willpower. We were down a lot in the first half," said the international, calling for "more responsibility" for the future. "Everyone has to take responsibility for themselves."

"Six defeats is a very, very bitter pill to swallow. You have to put that aside for now," admitted sporting director Marcel Schäfer. It will be a turbulent week until Saturday's home game against 1. FC Heidenheim, especially since the Xavi Simons issue remains unresolved. He wants to move to England to join world champions Chelsea, but played the full 90 minutes against Bayern. Although: lying down and lamenting rather than playing – at least in the first half – is a more accurate description.

With this tackling behavior, the gifted footballer, who wants to pack his bags sooner rather than later, isn't helping RB. "Everyone knows about his ambitions, and he's also expressed his desire to move to us," said Schäfer. While there have been one or two exchanges in recent weeks, no agreement has yet been reached. "We're not blocking any player, but the parameters have to be right," said Schäfer.

What has to be right on the pitch above all else is the willingness to push yourself, to make yards, to fight, and to perform as a team. Because despite all the criticism and anger, it was only a defeat – albeit a decisive one. But as a football saying goes: Better 6-0 once than 1-0 six times...

Sanny Stephan with dpa and sid