Champions League: RB Leipzig Host Liverpool Under Jurgen Klopp’s Looming Shadow

After a successful nine-year tenure, Jurgen Klopp resigned from his position as Liverpool manager during the summer due to exhaustion.

RB Leipzig will welcome Liverpool in the upcoming Champions League match where the paths of Jurgen Klopp’s recent history and upcoming endeavors intersect. While the 57-year-old manager will not be physically present at the Red Bull Arena, his influence will undoubtedly resonate throughout the encounter.

After a triumphant nine-year tenure that saw him secure both the Champions League and Premier League titles, Klopp decided to resign as the manager of Liverpool due to fatigue during the summer.

Klopp made a comeback to the football scene in October, not as a coach but as the head of Red Bull’s football operations. This role involves overseeing clubs in various locations such as Leipzig, Salzburg, and New York.

He has opted to skip the game and will instead watch a match once he commences his role in January.

The unexpected nature of the appointment resonated in both Germany and England, with Leipzig drawing special attention.

Leipzig’s fixture list presents a peculiar twist as it includes matches against Mainz, Liverpool, and Borussia Dortmund – three of Klopp’s former clubs – in their next five games.

Exploring Mallorca with Kloppo

After Leipzig’s 2-0 victory over Mainz on Saturday, Klopp once more became a subject of discussion among both fans and the media.

Reporters inquired whether Leipzig coach Marco Rose sought advice from Klopp on overcoming the Reds, as a few fans displayed banners in protest of the appointment.

Rose and Klopp share a strong bond from their time together at Mainz where Rose played under Klopp’s guidance for multiple years.

He mentioned that he had no plans to contact his ex-coach for advice on defeating Liverpool over the phone.

Kloppo is currently on the Spanish island of Mallorca, tending to his dog, spouse, and children.

I am prepared to go to great lengths to outperform Liverpool, but I have no intention of reaching out to Klopp.

He requires some peace and tranquility in order to rest for a while.

I will give him that privilege.

In his debut season, Rose, hailing from Leipzig, led the determined club to clinch the 2023 German Cup championship.

At the age of 48, he continued his success by guiding Leipzig to the Champions League last 16, where they were narrowly defeated by eventual champions Real Madrid.

Leipzig’s ability to retain their youthful core this season has sparked optimism for a potential league championship challenge and a successful European campaign.

While Leipzig may trail Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga standings by just goal difference, their journey in the Champions League presents a different scenario, albeit with a challenging draw ahead.

Atletico Madrid and Juventus both managed to secure victories against Leipzig with late goals, one on home turf and the other away.

The Saxon team is still chasing their first European point of the season, heightening the significance of Wednesday’s match against the Premier League frontrunners.

It is characterized by a high degree of stability.

In a fashion similar to Liverpool, Leipzig has relied on a solid defense to maintain a strong league performance this season.

In six out of seven league matches, Leipzig have managed to maintain clean sheets. Their defense only faltered once, allowing two goals in a 3-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen. This defeat marked the first time the defending champions had lost on German turf in 15 months.

Since Arne Slot took over from Klopp as the new manager, Liverpool has only allowed three goals in eight league matches this season, making them the top defensive team in the Premier League.

On Saturday, Peter Gulasci, the goalkeeper for Leipzig, acknowledged the similarities.

Similar to us, Liverpool exhibit a high level of defensive stability, conceding very little at the back.

It will prove to be quite challenging for this reason.

Their playing approach has undergone a slight transformation under Slot, leading them to engage more in ball possession and exhibit great structural organization.

In the initial two matches, we have demonstrated that we are evenly matched with our rivals; however, the time has come for us to reap the benefits of our diligent efforts.