'I'll never forget today' - Martín Demichelis and RB Leipzig enjoy dream start to campaign against Borussia Mönchengladbach
Bayern Munich were always going to be a tough act to follow after their thumping victory over VfB Stuttgart on Friday, but new RB Leipzig head coach Martín Demichelis could hardly have wished for a better performance from his team in his first Bundesliga match in charge of the club.
On a near-perfect afternoon for Die Roten Bullen against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Ridle Baku opened the scoring in the first half with his 25th Bundesliga goal, before Leipzig grabbed the contest by the scruff of the neck in the second.
Antonio Nusa scored the pick of the goals with a sumptuous curling strike from the edge of the penalty area, with ex-Gladbach captain Rocco Reitz completing the scoring against his former employers - from Christopher Nkunku’s perfectly weighted pass.
Watch: Nkunku reflects on Leipzig comeback
Nkunku, who returned to Leipzig last week on a season-long loan deal from AC Milan, needed only two minutes to make an impact after entering the fray as a second-half substitute, registering his first Bundesliga goal involvement since winning the 2022/23 Torjägerkanone - the top scorer award - at the end of his first spell at the Red Bull Arena.
Leipzig finished only five points behind champions Bayern and runners-up Borussia Dortmund that season. The 2026/27 campaign is barely a day old, but early indications suggest that Demichelis’ free-flowing, high-octane side have what it takes to lay down a serious challenge to the Bavarians this term.
“Winning 3-0 at home really is a bit of a statement,” said Baku. “No team knows exactly where they stand [after pre-season], but when we perform like we did today, we’re capable of winning any game.”
Indeed, had it not been for Gladbach goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas’ second-half heroics, Leipzig could easily have taken a leaf out of Bayern’s book and hit five against the Foals.
Nicolas made several superb saves after half-time, including a quite tremendous triple stop to deny Nusa, Willi Orbán and Ezechiel Banzuzi from inside the box.
Banzuzi was particularly unfortunate not to get his name on the scoresheet, but the midfielder was not the only player to trouble Gladbach’s defence on multiple occasions. Nusa too was denied by a sprawling Nicolas save, while Reitz had a low goal-bound drive parried behind for a corner by the 28-year-old before getting in on the act.
Demichelis, though, was delighted with the margin of victory. “I’m not going to forget today,” said the 45-year-old. “Three goals, three points - everything went well in the end. I’m really pleased.”
Ominously for Leipzig’s Bundesliga rivals, Demichelis still has several players working their way back to full fitness following injury - including Germany international Assan Ouédraogo and 2025/26 top scorer Christoph Baumgartner.
Brazilian striker Romûlo has also yet to return to full training after suffering an inflamed knee tendon, but scoring goals appears to be the least of Leipzig’s concerns ahead of upcoming league encounters with Werder Bremen and Hamburg - which fall either side of a UEFA Champions League trip to Como.
As Baku put it: “Sometimes, football isn’t particularly difficult. It’s just about timing and quality.”
After marking Demichelis’ Bundesliga coaching bow with the most comfortable of wins, Leipzig clearly possess both in abundance.
