Marco Rose comments on lethargic RB Leipzig: “We lost energy.” | OneFootball

RB Leipzig head coach Marco Rose’s concerns that his team might be tiring out manifested in a grim reality on Saturday afternoon in Mainz. The German Red Bulls dropped a crucial Bundesliga fixture to European rivals Mainz 05. The match very much served as a “European six pointer”. Matters couldn’t have gotten worse for Rose’s side, who looked very lethargic after Xavi Simons opened the scoring in the second minute, before Mainz went on to win 2-1.

Mainz and Leipzig entered the contest deadlocked on 38 league points. The result now sees the Rheinhessen open up a three-point-gap and move into fourth place while Rose’s Saxons remain mired in sixth. Wolfsburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Dortmund (all winners on Saturday) nip at Leipzig’s heels in the race for the the second Europa League place. Stuttgart too are within easy striking distance.

Rose found himself unable to rest as many players as he might have liked to. Amadou Haidara for Kevin Kampl served as the lone outfield change. The team effectively ran out of ideas after the early goals. Matters could have been much worse still as Mainz piled on toward the end. Rose lamented the fact that a thin squad precluded him from making personnel changes at the half.

“On the bench today, attacking options were slim,” Rose noted. “After a good opening ten minutes, we lost energy little by little. You could tell at the end of the first half that Mainz were getting into the game better. We sensed that we would need changes today.”

“Now it’s time to recharge and [engage in] a razor-sharp training week,” Rose concluded.

GGFN | Peter Weis