Rebuilt Leipzig ready for Manchester City Champions League test

03.10.2023 - 06:23 channelnewsasia.com

BERLIN: RB Leipzig face Champions League title holders Manchester City on Wednesday (Oct 4), having emerged strongly from a summer rebuild which could have derailed the young club.Champions League regulars who had just won their second German Cup in succession, Leipzig lost four first-team players to big money deals in the summer, underlining their place in the European football hierarchy - still viewed as a small-club outsider.Centre-back Josko Gvardiol moved to Wednesday's opponents City, midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai to Liverpool and top scorer Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea all for large transfer fees, while Konrad Laimer went to domestic rivals Bayern Munich on a free.But continuing their remarkable ability to identify and develop young talent, RB brought in several new players from across Europe, many of whom have already shone in a Leipzig uniform.Leipzig's record so far this season - seven wins and just one loss from nine matches in all competitions while having faced Bayern twice - shows Marco Rose's rebuilt side is ahead of schedule and likely to be a real challenge for Man City.Leipzig took in more than €240 million (US$250 million) in the summer, much of which was promptly re-invested in new arrivals.Lois Openda, who scored 21 goals to help Lens finish just one point behind champions Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 last season, joined the club, as did 20-year-old PSG loanee Xavi Simons.Leipzig brought in Castello Lukeba, 20, from Lyon to replace Gvardiol at centre-back, while Slovenian striking prodigy Benjamin Sesko, also 20, joined from sister club Red Bull Salzburg.The additions, particularly those up front, have quickly taken to life in Leipzig.Of particular concern was replacing Nkunku's output, with the

Football Testing record show Chelsea UPS Test Leipzig Bayern Munich Marco Rose Christopher Nkunku Dominik Szoboszlai Lois Openda Konrad Laimer Benjamin Sesko Josko Gvardiol Germany Usa Slovenia

LONDON: England became the ninth team to book a place at next year’s European Championship after beating Italy 3-1 at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday, two years on from losing the final to the Italians at the same venue.

Mainz Suspend Anwar El Ghazi For 'Unacceptable' Israel-Gaza Post

German football club Mainz on Tuesday said they had suspended player Anwar El Ghazi after the winger made an "unacceptable" comment on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza on social media. "El Ghazi took a position on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East that was deemed unacceptable," the Bundesliga club said in a statement. Dutch international El Ghazi made the comments in a "since-deleted" post on social media on Sunday night, Mainz said.

Aramco Team Series set for historic first date in Riyadh

RIYADH: Golf Saudi, in partnership with Aramco and the Public Investment Fund, has announced that tickets for the Aramco Team Series are now on sale, giving sports fans in the Kingdom the chance to attend the capital’s first-ever professional golf tournament.

Australian trio nominated for Asian Football Confederation awards

HONG KONG : Australian duo Sam Kerr and Mathew Leckie have been nominated for the Asian Football Confederation's Player of the Year awards in the women's and men's categories respectively, with national team boss Graham Arnold named on the shortlist for best coach.

Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano out for several weeks with a hamstring injury

MUNICH, Germany: Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano has been ruled out for several weeks with a left hamstring injury, while teammates Matthijs de Ligt and Serge Gnabry are working on their comebacks. Bayern said Wednesday that a scan determined the extent of Upamecano’s injury after he had to go off toward the end of the team’s 3-0 win over Freiburg on Sunday, and that it puts “him out of action for the time being.” The French defender is likely to miss games against Mainz, Galatasaray, Darmstadt and Saarbrücken. He could be ready for the Bundesliga match against Borussia Dortmund on Nov.

Rico Lewis half-time reaction shows coming of age in Man City things spotted vs RB Leipzig

Manchester City overcame a second-half hiccup to defeat RB Leipzig 3-1 in their second Champions League group stage match of the season. A clever Phil Foden opener was cancelled out by an unexpected Leipzig equaliser from Lois Openda shortly after the break. City controlled the game throughout but had to wait until the 84th minute to find their next goal.