From the moment they rose to the Bundesliga top-flight in 2016, RB Leipzig have been a force to be reckoned with, going unbeaten in their first 13 league matches in the 2016/17 campaign.
That remains the longest unbeaten streak for a newly promoted side and, seven years on, Die Roten Bullen are challenging at the very top, looking for honors in Europe as well as the German league.
They have been knocking on the door while cultivating some wonderful talents, and manager Marco Rose is expected to continue the club’s rapid progress.
They will start as third favourites to win the title, according to the pre-season Bundesliga 2023 betting odds, and Leipzig have a fighting chance. And I believe there are five reasons to make a case for Rose’s challengers.
Leipzig can attract young talent
Here at SBOTOP, we’ve been watching the European transfer market closely, and Die Roten Bullen have already said goodbye to two of their big name stars with Dominik Szoboszlai following Christopher Nkunku to the Premier League.
Chelsea opened up their transfer window by signing Nkunku for a £53 million fee and, last week, Szoboszlai went to Liverpool for a round £60 million. And centre-back Josko Gvardiol looks like he may be following his teammates to the Premier League with Manchester City inching closer to a €100 million deal.
The fact that they can command the thick end of €200 million for three of their young talents shows just what an attractive prospect the club is for up and coming stars.
23-year-old Austrian midfielder Christoph Baumgartner has arrived from TSG Hoffenheim along with 6’5” striker Benjamin Sesko (20), who has joined from sister club RB Salzburg also on a five-year deal. This new generation will meet established stars such as Emil Forsberg, Timo Werner, and Andre Silva and, with plenty of cash to spend, Red Bull will continue to invest.
The Bulls have momentum
After a poor start to the 2022/23 campaign, RB Leipzig stormed through the second half of the season and eventually finished third, just five points behind champions FC Bayern.
Marco Rose was drafted in as manager and they suddenly came to life and, at one time, had their eyes on an amazing title charge.
They certainly performed as well as anyone in the second half of the campaign and, while there are some high profile outgoings, plenty of the players who took RB Leipzig to the brink of the top spot still remain.
Leipzig will push hard for some winning Bundesliga 2023 results right from the off, beginning with a testing trip away to Bayer Leverkusen on 19th August.
Rose’s Red Bull pedigree
Marco Rose certainly had the desired effect on his arrival and, at 46 years of age, he has enough experience combined with a youthful outlook to be successful.
He cut his teeth with Mainz 05’s second team before taking over at Lokomotive Leipzig, and then rising through the ranks at RB Salzburg. There, Rose won two Austrian Bundesligas, including a league and cup double in 2019.
He has managed Borussia Monchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga, winning the DFB Pokal in his first season in charge at RB Leipzig.
Rose likes his teams to play at a high tempo, pressing aggressively when out of possession, and switching from defence to attack quickly, much as Jurgen Klopp did at Borussia Dortmund and then at Liverpool to great effect.
Silverware brings confidence
RB Leipzig have twice been Bundesliga runners-up and were twice DFB Pokal finalists. But they have tasted success over the past two campaigns, twice in the cup, winning back-to-back DFB’s.
Winning trophies is a habit which becomes addictive, and managers including the great Jose Mourinho have always targeted silverware, any silverware as early as possible, before moving on to the bigger prizes.
The Leipzig players know how it feels to stand on a champion’s podium, and that is a feeling they want to become a regular experience.
Bayern and BVB show chinks in their armour
Last season, FC Bayern made it 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles on the bounce but only because Borussia Dortmund choked on the final day, drawing with Mainz, while Bayern scored a late, late winner against Koln.
That the Bavarians rather stumbled over the line tells us they are fallible, and that BVB slipped up at the final hurdle tells us that Die Schwarzgelben still don’t have that killer instinct.
Bayern are yet to replace Robert Lewandowski following his transfer to Barcelona and Dortmund have waved goodbye to the influential Jude Bellingham who has gone to Real Madrid.
RB Leipzig are not the finished article, but then their main rivals aren’t perfect either.
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