Football – Champions League
No points, new worries: Leipzig star Simons is threatened with failure
Xavi Simons is brought into the dressing room by two supervisors. photo
© Robert Michael/dpa
The defeat against Liverpool might not be the worst news for RB Leipzig in the Champions League. The best player is threatened with an injury break.
RB Leipzig may have to do without Xavi Simons and thus the next top performer. The Dutch national soccer player had to be substituted injured in the 78th minute of the 0-1 loss against Liverpool FC in the Champions League. There was no exact diagnosis on Thursday evening.
“Xavi has twisted his ankle and is already in pain. We will first make a complete diagnosis and then see what happens next,” said trainer Marco Rose. “We hope that Xavi is doing well, otherwise we risk gradually losing substance.”
Under pressure at Celtic
Rose currently has to replace regular players Xaver Schlager (cruciate ligament) and David Raum (syndesmosis) due to ligament injuries. In addition, Nicolas Seiwald is not fit for action. Lukas Klostermann missed the Liverpool game, but his gastrointestinal problems should not keep the national player out of action in the long term.
In contrast to the Bundesliga, things are not working at all for Leipzig in the new format of the Champions League. After three games, the Saxons still have zero points, and of the 36 teams, only five other teams also still have no points. With five games still to play, Leipzig is under pressure to play against Celtic Glasgow in two weeks.
Consistency is missing
“In my opinion, Liverpool didn’t have the best day. But they did what you have to do to get through,” said captain Willi Orban. “We currently lack the consistency in both penalty areas to beat such a top team.” Not only was there a lack of penetration in the attack, but also a lack of self-confidence.
Ultimately, Leipzig scored twice from an offside position through Loïs Openda, but only had one legal big chance through Benjamin Sesko. Liverpool were significantly more dangerous and consistent in their actions and could have won the game more.
