Péter Gulácsi: “Our Goal: UCL Qualification!”

After Gladbach comes Munich: kick-off for another big game week! On Tuesday morning, RBL head coach Marco Rose’s team returned to training before Saturday’s away clash against Bayern Munich (6.30 p.m.).

Even though Leipzig goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi completed training away from the first team, he was available to answer questions for the media.

You can find Pete’s remarks here.

Péter Gulácsi on…

… load management

“It has been a while since I played three games in a row. I trained in the weight room on Tuesday, as a precautionary measure, in order to manage my load. I plan to start training with the team again on Wednesday.”

… leadership

“If your appearances are limited for a long time, it’s completely normal that not everything goes perfectly the first or second time you play. But the rhythm returned very quickly. It feels completely normal to be on the pitch again. Maintaining a sense of calm is not only important for me, but also for the team. We have played with confidence in the last two games, especially in defense. We are moving in the right direction.”

… the injury to Lukas Klostermann

“Not having Klosti available in defence is a shame. He is a very important player. His pace, his experience, his composure on the ball, and he was in good form. He has given us a lot of stability in the last few weeks. But Mohamed Simakan did very well when he came in, so we definitely have very good alternatives in the position.”

Who’s fit? Who’s missing? Squad Update

Péter Gulásci on…

… the team’s momentum

“We cannot compare our last few games. We played poorly in Stuttgart. But at home, our performances have been decent but the results weren’t good. Now, we have seven points from the last three Bundesliga games. We want to continue in the same way.
We have a difficult task ahead of us in the Champions League away at Real Madrid. But we saw last week: nothing is impossible. We showed that we can play at Real Madrid’s level. We know we can. It will be a lot more difficult in Madrid. But we will fight everything, and we want to reach the Quarter Finals.”

… poor form

“That’s football. We didn’t play against bad teams. Stuttgart, for example, had a really good day, and we had a very bad day. That was a deserved defeat, and that can happen. Before that, we were often unlucky. We have analyzed our form in detail and wanted to improve our intensity on the pitch. I think we have shown that in the last few weeks. We now want to keep this positive moment going for as long as possible and not focus too much on the negatives.”

Qualifying for the Champions League is the most important thing for us!
Péter Gulácsi

Péter Gulásci on…

… the match against Bayern Munich

“We focus on ourselves and our performance. We are not interested in what the media say about Bayern. Even if they are not doing well at the moment, it is still a game against the champions at home. We are not going to go there and be complacent. The last two matches in Munich went very well for us, and that should be our goal again.
We need to be at our best, then maybe we can take three points again against a world-class team
Manuel Neuer and I spoke briefly after our injuries, exchanged ideas and of course congratulated each other on our comebacks. I’m now looking forward to seeing each other on the pitch again.”

… the battle for UCL spots

“Qualifying for the Champions League is the most important thing for us. And in the last few seasons we achieved that. Of course we want to do that this year too – although it won’t be easy. You can see the good run that Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund have, very high quality. So it certainly won’t be an easy three-way battle. But there are still plenty of games – even against direct competitors. We’re looking from game to game, as obvious as that may sound. We want to keep getting points.”

… the offensive power of RB Leipzig

“Lois, Sesko, and Xavi, week after week they show their offensive qualities. We just have to do our tasks a little better at the back, then we always have a chance of winning a game. This is also our focus at the moment. If we do that well, we also have a chance in Munich.”