RB Leipzig began their pre-season preparations with a 2-1 victory over VSG Altglienicke, a side from the Regionalliga Northeast, marking the touchline debut for new manager Martin Demichelis. The match, played earlier today, saw Brajan Gruda open the scoring for Leipzig, having recently completed a permanent transfer following a successful loan spell with the club. Altglienicke responded before halftime, leveling the score at 1-1.
Demichelis opted to field an entirely new eleven for the second half of the encounter, but Altglienicke proved resilient, holding Leipzig scoreless after Johan Bakayoko had given them the lead. The friendly served as a first look at the squad under the Argentinian coach, who replaced Marco Rose at the end of last season after the club finished fourth in the Bundesliga.
While new signings Maxime Estève and Rocco Rietz were present with the team, both players were not involved in the matchday squad, suggesting they are still integrating into the group. Estève, a defender, joined from Montpellier, while Rietz arrived from Hertha BSC, both bolstering Leipzig’s options ahead of the new campaign.
RB Leipzig will be aiming to return to the Champions League after missing out on European qualification altogether last season. Demichelis’ first competitive match in charge will be against Eintracht Trier, before the Bundesliga season begins against Borussia Mönchengladbach. The club will be hoping for a strong start under their new manager, aiming to challenge Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund at the top of the table. This pre-season match provides an early indication of the tactical approaches Demichelis intends to implement.
