Leipzig's new coach Löw: Must stop Hoffenheim in the relegation battle!

Leipzig's new coach Löw: Must stop Hoffenheim in the relegation battle!

RB Leipzig had to prove themselves again in a challenging season under new interim coach Zsolt Löw. Today the team faces the important duel against TSG Hoffenheim, which kicks off on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The pressure is high after Leipzig only managed one win from eight Champions League games this season. Most recently, they missed their last chance for the title in the DFB Cup with a 1:3 defeat against VfB Stuttgart, which further increases the expectations of the team. oe24.at reports that Leipzig is currently in sixth place in the table and wants to leave no stone unturned to play its way into Champions League qualification.

Zsolt Löw made his debut as RB Leipzig coach last week after Marco Rose was sacked three days earlier. Despite the cup defeat, the team showed a more active and snappy performance in the last league game against Borussia Mönchengladbach (0-1). The changes in playing style are obvious. Leipzig dominated at times and even pushed Stuttgart into their own half. The statistics show that only five out of 30 crosses found their target, which indicates a need for optimization Sky Sport notes.

The new Hoffenheim coach

The upcoming game is also a key encounter for TSG Hoffenheim. Their coach Christian Ilzer will lead the team against Leipzig for the second time. On his debut in November, Ilzer experienced a resounding success with a 4-3 win. Since then, however, Hoffenheim has lost form and is currently in 14th place in the table, just five points above the relegation zone. Ilzer has accepted the challenge and wants to lead Hoffenheim back into international competitions in the next few years. His medium to long-term goal is to have the team fighting for the German championship in five years.

RB Leipzig hopes that Löw's influence will have similar positive effects as Ilzer's at the other end. The upcoming points against Hoffenheim can be crucial in order to realize the ambitions for a better placement and Champions League qualification. Missing out on the Champions League would have far-reaching consequences for the club's squad planning and budget.

In a recent Bundesliga league game, Bayer 04 Leverkusen won 3-1 against VfL Bochum. The goals for Leverkusen were scored by Aleix Garcia and Victor Boniface, while Felix Passlack scored for Bochum to equalize. Yahoo Sports reports about how Leverkusen's success affects the exemplary league competition.