Photo Credit: Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts–Zimbio
Ralf Rangnick lead the new money club to promotion but conceded the manager position to FC Ingolstadt’s manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Money was spent to bring in Oliver Burke from England, Naby Keita from Austria, Timo Werner from Stuttgart. A lot more money than was spent by any club that didn’t sell to make the deals. Borussia Dortmund sold and brought in over 100 million each and nearly was even while Bayern Munich bought over 70 million but made close to 60 by selling. RB Leipzig brought in over 50 million and merely cleared out room, something that the biggest spending clubs of the world are able to relate to.
The season took off and suddenly, via an eight match winning run, it was RB Leipzig leading the Bundesliga title race for three consecutive match days before losses to FC Ingolstadt and Bayern Munich placed them in second with three points behind the reigning champions.
The Hasenhuttl way of high level pressing has cause many clubs to rethink handling the RB demolition team. It is a squad of young and hungry players who don’t have very big egos who are willing to listen to a coach and believe what is being taught.
Fact remains that it is the new club that seems to be the only ones giving the reigning champion a run for their money.
This is a non-traditional club in the structure as there is no exact way to become a member and join the nine members, all current Red Bull employees, in the voting process on how the club is being run.
It is a place where things are being run differently and they are the ones giving Bayern a run for their money.
Moment of the Hinrunde
First match in the Bundesliga for the city of Leipzig since the early 1990s. The traditional city team Lokomotive Leipzig from the old East Germany days was one that made European appearances and in the first match for RB Leipzig was against West German giant Borussia Dortmund. Well, a 89th minute winner from Naby Keita was something that will go down in local folklore. Cause if you can beat last years runners ups then why not have a shot at the rest of the Bundesliga.
The ‘A Ha’ Moment of the Hinrunde
A run of eight Bundesliga wins is always a massive accomplishment and when RB Leipzig visited FC Ingolstadt they figured, we got this. But the run was ended by the relegation troubled club because they stayed robust and made the young players of Leipzig show their youth. Fact is this slip then allowed Bayern to retake the title lead and has set the tone for the remainder of the season.
Ruckrunde prediction
Nobody figured this club would have such a start but there is one caution tale in the first year Hoffenheim was up. They fell off at the end of the season as the winterpause was like death to their momentum. Now there is no chance at that happening but the fact is that the Champions League is very certain and should this young team develop the rest of Europe will fear the soft drinks. A drop off will happen but with such distance between second place and sixth place is a whopping nine points. 3rd place finish at years end.
