Demichelis targets Leipzig win on ‘special’ return to Bayern

Demichelis wants Leipzig to take the game to Bayern

Martín Demichelis is relishing his return to the Allianz Arena with RB Leipzig, but the coach made clear that sentiment will not soften his ambitions when his side face Bayern Munich on Saturday evening.

“I lived in Munich for many years and represented FC Bayern both as a player and a coach,” Demichelis said at his press conference. “Returning to the Allianz Arena now with RB Leipzig is something special for me. I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces again.”

The Argentine spent 12 years at Bayern as a player and later as a coach, describing the club as an influence on him “as a person too.” Yet he stressed that his priority is securing a Leipzig victory: “Whilst I have the utmost respect for FC Bayern, I naturally want RB Leipzig to come out on top.”

‘Not a fan’ of sitting deep

Demichelis rejected the idea of spending the entire match defending close to Leipzig’s goal. “I’m not a fan of defending 90 minutes in front of our own goal,” he said, adding that such an approach offers no guarantee of earning a point and does not serve the team’s wider aims.

“I can’t tell the lads: We’re heading to Munich, defend behind the halfway line and hoof the ball up the pitch and see what happens,” he said.

Three players unavailable

Leipzig will continue to be without Marc Guiu, who is sidelined with a muscle injury, and Assan Ouédraogo, who remains out indefinitely after suffering a capsule injury in his right shoulder. Christoph Baumgartner is gradually returning to team training.