Kylian Mbappé (center) was often a little too fast for good Leipzigers.
Photo: AFP / Anne-Christine Poujoulat
Jesse Marsch had to think a little bit about this game. Between two interviews, Leipzig’s coach paced up and down alone on the lawn in the Parisian Prinzenpark, as if he wanted to find out for himself what the 2: 3 (1: 1) defeat and the performance of RB in the world selection of Paris St. Germain is worth. His players were still euphoric after the fight against Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé & Co. “We can be proud of this performance here in Paris against such a team, because we weren’t a bit worse, rather better,” said Konrad Laimer.
Found balance
The Austrian was one of the best, worked tirelessly on the defensive and was involved in numerous forward switch actions. If you will, he was emblematic of the entire Leipzig team, which finally found the balance between compact defensive work and precise play forward against PSG. “We showed today that we can keep up at the highest level in Europe,” said Laimer. And goal scorer André Silva even said: “It is not deserved that PSG won.”
Jesse Marsch disagreed – because it was also part of the truth of this game that Leipzig gave up the lead that was played out over Angeliño by the goals of Silva (28th) and Nordi Mukiele (57th) far too easily. Tyler Adams Mbappé played the ball in the foot, so Messi only scored to equalize (65th) and nine minutes later from the penalty spot. Leipzig’s defender Mohamed Simakan had previously knocked Mbappé down too clumsily in the penalty area. “We pretty much had everything under control after the tour. It’s hard to accept that we made such serious mistakes, ”Marsch shrugged. “Unfortunately we deserved the defeat.”
Although RB is now facing the end of the premier class with still zero points, this game gave courage on the largest possible stage in front of 48,000 fans. Because finally lawn ball sport showed the kind of football coach Jesse Marsch imagines in a big game. Match plan, personnel selection, basic formation, commitment and implementation really fit together for the first time under the new trainer.
As a reminder: Marsch started as the successor to Julian Nagelsmann to bring RB back to the Red Bull football of the early years and finally to score against big opponents. “The goal is always to have total control of the opponent and the game, to have clarity in every phase,” he said when he introduced the game. After summiteer Nagelsmann, he wanted to lead the team “over the hill”, the American described. So over the summit, over the borders. »Are we taking the next big step against Dortmund and Bayern? We have to play our best game there, ”he emphasized. He also stepped in to establish a new culture within the team. Vulnerability is not a German quality, he wanted to create more vulnerability, he said. “I try to hear the players’ opinions more and get them to give more of themselves and stand up for one another on a higher level. I want to get them to totally believe in each other, ”Marsch told his friend, US journalist Grant Wahl.
Wilted advance praise
But instead of reacted with renewed confidence, the team reacted completely unsettled in the first two and a half months of the season. The advance praise the friendly motivator from Wisconsin had received for his unconventional manner quickly wilted. The runner-up was alienated with the new game idea – for Emil Forsberg & Co. it simply did not understand why Marsch’s wilder style should be a step forward towards controlled combination and positional football with a lot of ball possession by Nagelsmann. And so the turf ball athletes completely lost the line in some games in the build-up of the game. The low point was the home defeat in the Champions League against Underdog Bruges, when Leipzig quickly lost many balls in the build-up and looked helpless.
Marsch relies on self-responsibility with his players, but in the uncertainty the team seemed left alone, also due to a lack of coaching during the games. It does its part to ensure that the 47-year-old speaks only German with journalists and players. Perhaps that is why many of his statements seem comparatively simple – especially since Nagelsmann had previously lectured on his tactical ideas in greater detail than almost any other trainer in the industry. Marsch is of the opinion that it is not his job to give such concrete insights. This strengthened the impression that he was simply unable to give the “group”, as he called the team, too few specific instructions beyond the motivational phrases.
Decisive November
All that has now been put into perspective by the passionate and planned performance against some of the best players in the world. Marsch analyzed: “We didn’t have a lot of possession (36 percent, editor’s note), but we were intense against the ball and very intelligent in which area and which players we attack and control.” The game was for players and fans like a promise that Marsch’s ideas can still bear fruit after all. “We played calmly, bravely and with good positional play, got chances and got as many standards as perhaps no team before this season against PSG,” said the coach. Leipzig had 18 to 12 shots on goal, numerous chances to win or at least a draw were available, but there was no ripped off in front of the goal. “It was almost perfect,” said Marsch. But only almost. Laimer – so far one of the losers under march – announced that »Elan and Power« would now be converted into points. November with big games on the assembly line will decide whether Marsch will have a future in Leipzig beyond the season.
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