Leipzig-Man United Showdown: RB lose Samardzic, Cavani and Martial stay at home
For Julian Nagelsmann's RB Leipzig, it's quite literally a big money match. They must win against Manchester United to reach the knockouts of the UEFA Champions League.
Germany's Red Bulls get €9.7 million from the DFL if they can bring spring football to their corner of the Bundesrepublik. An additional €2.3 million comes with a group stage win.
Nagelsmann loses another to player to corona one day before the crucial clash.
Leipzig's trainer already had to build his Tuesday lineup without the injured Konrad Laimer, Lukas Klostermann, and Benjamin Henrichs. Additionally, Dayot Upamecano must sit out the encounter on suspension.
Germany's Red Bulls get €9.7 million from the DFL if they can bring spring football to their corner of the Bundesrepublik. An additional €2.3 million comes with a group stage win.
Nagelsmann loses another to player to corona one day before the crucial clash.
News came in on Monday that 18-year-old midfielder Lazar Samardzic tested positive for the novel coronavirus and must join striker Hwang Hee-Chan on the quarantine list.
Nagelsmann remained upbeat on Monday, even after his team came off of grueling encounters in the UCL last Wednesday and this past Saturday night against Bayern.
"The two games are boosting our confidence," he remarked with a smile, "Victories are the best prelude to regeneration."
It will take more than flowery rhetoric for the Saxons to overcome an EPL side that dismantled them 5-0 in the reverse group fixture. United need only a draw to advance. Perhaps in light of this, trainer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has opted to leave attackers Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial at home with light injuries.
The ManU coach did insist that he still would be playing to win during his final press conference on English soil.
"We won't sit back and hope for a 0-0," he asserted, "that's not in our genes."
Solskjaer labelled his opponents as "unpredictable both in terms of form and system" and maintained that he expected a "tough match".