It’s time for the second round in the 2023/24 DFB-Pokal!
RB Leipzig take on hosts VfL Wolfsburg on Tuesday (18:00 CET) for a place in the last 16 of the cup. 2,700 fans will be making the journey to Lower Saxony to support RBL.
Who will start in goal? Who is out of action? What will Marco Rose’s approach to the game against Bundesliga rivals Wolfsburg be? Our head coach addressed these questions and more during Monday’s pre-match press conference.
Team news
- Unfortunately, Dani Olmo had to go off injured with a shoulder injury just seven minutes after being brought on. Our number 7️ suffered an acromioclavicular joint separation in yesterday’s 6-0 win against Köln. Medical examinations late on Saturday evening and on Sunday revealed that Olmo has suffered no fractures.
The Spaniard will be out of action for RBL for several weeks. Get well soon, Dani!
- Willi Orban and El Chadaille Bitshiabu remain sidelined with injuries.
Marco Rose on…
…the squad:
- “Everyone has recovered well from the weekend. It wasn’t clear until final training that Kevin Kampl wouldn’t be able to play against Köln. We all met up here for a session yesterday and everyone was in good spirits. We need to keep an eye on Mohamed Simakan – he was on the receiving end of a kick during the game against 1. FC Köln. Nevertheless, the squad situation isn’t a concern.”
…goalkeeper selection:
- “Péter Gulácsi is in good shape and he’s constantly making steps forward. He has been training hard, and we’re certainly thinking about how we can give him the game time that he needs. However, our goalkeeping coach is primarily responsible for that decision. I will make a call based on his assessment.”
…the team’s momentum:
- “We’ve worked hard for these results. In the last press conference, I spoke about the fact that we’re not far from getting back into our rhythm following lots of hard-fought wins. We managed to do that against Köln and that should give us confidence. It’s important to pick up positive results on a regular basis when you’ve got a game every three days. Now, we need to keep this rhythm going and carry the momentum and this good feeling forward with us.
On the other hand, Wolfsburg are trying to get back into a rhythm of their own, so it would be good if we could push on. However, I feel like people jump on things too quickly, whether it’s positive or negative. It wasn’t long ago that we hadn’t won in three games, no sooner are people talking about us as title contenders. I’m happy if we’re winning games. The performance against Köln was excellent – that’s always what we’re aiming for, but it won’t always happen.”
He can become a decisive factor in the coming weeks.
…Dani Olmo:
- “Dani Olmo’s absence is really tough to take. He was supposed to start tomorrow’s game. We were happy to have a player back on the pitch that has the ability to define a game. Dani gives us rhythm, offers us calmness and has the ability to control games. He’s an irreplaceable key player.
Nevertheless, we’ve also managed to win games without him. I have a lot of faith in the lads. It’s a shame that he’s not able to play. Now, we need to make sure that we stay on track until Christmas.”
…Christoph Baumgartner:
- “He can become a decisive factor in the coming weeks. Additionally, he’s getting stronger and stronger by the week from a physical standpoint. That means that we’ve been able to give him brief appearances once again following his muscle problems.
He’s moving in the right direction and we will surely see him involved from the start at some point in the coming weeks. I’m aware of his capabilities, and they are outstanding.”
…options in the squad:
- “We have lots of options for the starting eleven in Wolfsburg. We had a couple of lads on the bench against Köln who have performed well in the last few weeks. These guys naturally want to get back on the pitch. That’s exactly what we need – being able to tackle games with different set-ups.
That’s why it’s great that Timo Wernerhad a good game again. He worked really hard and got his goal. Now, he needs to keep focused and believe in himself. We’ll decide later whether he’s going to start tomorrow.”
…Wolfsburg striker Jonas Wind:
- “He’s a really good footballer despite his height. He’s good with his feet, even in tight spaces, and he’s a target man for Wolfsburg. Jonas has a knack for finding space. He doesn’t need much time to find a good pass or to fire off a shot at goal. It’s fun to watch him play.”