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Kevin Kampl's (r.) RB Leipzig twice took the lead in Leverkusen on Matchday 12, but were pegged back each time. - © © imago
Kevin Kampl's (r.) RB Leipzig twice took the lead in Leverkusen on Matchday 12, but were pegged back each time. - © © imago

RB Leipzig's Kevin Kampl: "We need to give the Monaco game everything"

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It was, if nothing else, an entertaining return to the BayArena for Kevin Kampl. In his first appearance at his former stomping ground since switching Bayer Leverkusen for RB Leipzig at the end of the summer transfer window, the Slovenia international played his part in a pulsating Bundesliga encounter: a 2-2 draw with penalties, brilliant goals, a red card, and talking points aplenty.

Having taken the lead twice, however, through penalties from Timo Werner and Emil Forsberg, Kampl's new Leipzig teammates twice conspired to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory, allowing Leon Bailey and Kevin Volland to level at the end of the first and second half respectively.

Speaking after the game, Kampl discussed his frustration at the draw and Leipzig's recent upward curve, before turning his focus to the Easterners' trip to Monaco in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.

Watch: Leipzig are continuing to prove that last season's success was far from a flash in the pan!

Question: Kevin Kampl, you and your Leipzig teammates came away from Bayer Leverkusen with a draw. Are you happy with the point?

Kevin Kampl: To be honest, we're not very happy because there was more out there for us. We took the lead twice against a very good Leverkusen side, but we lost the initiative a little bit in the second half after going ahead again because Bayer played better. We were a little bit all over the place; we weren't calm enough and played too passively. Leverkusen picked up on the fact that something hadn't quite clicked and they deservedly scored the equaliser.

Question: What did you do wrong, then?

Kampl: We needed to be calmer and score the third goal. That would have killed the game. It's tough to take right now, but a point is better than nothing. A draw in Leverkusen isn't the worst result: Die Werkself are good at home and haven't lost yet at the BayArena. They're not really where they belong in the table, in terms of their quality.

Question: How pleased are you with your role in the team since arriving in Leipzig?

Kampl: It's been just over two months, and I'm very pleased. I've played a lot of games, even though I wasn't with Leipzig for pre-season. The boys welcomed me really well and I feel very comfortable. It feels as though I've been here for much longer than I have. I think we can look forward to some good times.

- © imago / Eibner

Question: You've been sporting different coloured hair of late. Is it the grey Robert Lewandowski look?

Kampl: No! (Laughing) I change my blond hair every few months. Perhaps he got it from me!

Question: What will you be taking from this game into the Champions League meeting with Monaco in France on Tuesday?

Kampl: We need to switch off from the Bundesliga now and get back into Champions League mode. We need to give that game everything, because we have to win. That also means, though, that we don't have anything to lose.

Tobias Gonscherowski reporting from Leverkusen

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