Defence best form of attack for RB Leipzig
Strikers win games, defences win trophies: will that age-old maxim ring true for RB Leipzig whose rock-solid rearguard has them among the early season pacesetters in the Bundesliga?
It is simple mathematics: if you don't concede a goal, you're gonna pick up at least a point. Leipzig have already racked up six clean sheets in just eight games this season - including a club record-equalling five in a row - they only had 10 in the whole of the 2023/24 league campaign.
They have conceded only three times all season with Union Berlin next best with four across the division. And you can hardly criticise Leipzig for the goals they have shipped: two thirds of them came in a 3-2 win that ended champions Bayer Leverkusen's incredible unbeaten run on Matchday 2.
Watch: Are RB Leipzig genuine title candidates?
The last line of defence is always going to be the most important, and Peter Gulácsi is currently the most reliable of all Bundesliga bulwarks. The Hungary international has proven all but unbeatable this term saving a league-high 93 percent of shots he has faced. Having not picked the ball out of his net for over over a month in the Bundesliga, he set a new club record of 509 minutes without conceeding.
In front of him, fellow veteran Willi Orbán has been immense too. His first Bundesliga goal since May 2023 came in the 2-0 win over Mainz last time out, and he added another in the comeback win over Freiburg that sent his side top, overnight at least. However, it's at his day job that the Hungary international centre-back has excelled, winning a Bundesliga-best 72 percent of his attempted duels so far in 2024/25.
"You notice when he's missing," said coach Marco Rose. "He's quite simply our captain, and you can see that on the pitch."
Like Bayern Munich, Leipzig are unbeaten, but while the record German champions have scored 24 times, Leipzig have struck on only 14 occasions, relying on their defensive qualities to make the most of those strikes.
There is a degree of consistency as Leipzig had the joint-second-best defensive record last season along with runners-up VfB Stuttgart as they came home fourth. But this term, they have tightened up still further thanks in part - according to Orbán - a quiet summer transfer window.
"We had no big upheavals, that of course helped us. There's understanding there, many players are on top form and we have a good goalkeeper too," explained the 31-year-old before the Freiburg victory.
"Everyone wants to keep a clean sheet and we throw ourselves on every ball. It's down to lots of things that defensively things are going so well right now. That's the basis for a successful football team."
Watch: RB Leipzig 3-1 Freiburg - highlights
Stretching back to defeat at Bayern on 24 February 2024, Rose's men are on an 19-game unbeaten streak in the league.
"They're numbers that make you happy, but we have to keep going. The next run of fixtures is going to be very intense," warned Orbán, with a trip to Borussia Dortmund up next on Matchday 9.
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