Even before it all kicked off in Berlin, RB Leipzig were already in the mood. In the dressing room at the Olympiastadion on Saturday afternoon, the coach Ralph Hasenhüttl played his squad a video compilation of their season’s highlights, “with the Champions League anthem at the end” as outro music, as the midfielder Diego Demme later told journalists.
It clearly had the desired effect. Leipzig simply overpowered the European hopefuls Hertha Berlin in a performance that was so finely honed that it was almost a caricature of their best qualities. They pressed Pal Dardai’s side like demons, then sat off to conserve energy when they needed to – whisper it, but not unlike Thomas Tuchel’s Borussia Dortmund at their best last season – and even went route one on occasions to give their befuddled opponents something else to deal with.
Related: Carlo Ancelotti laments Bayern’s off-day as 2-2 Mainz draw gives RB Leipzig hope
Continue reading...