‘German teams getting stronger’: RB Leipzig striker Poulsen opens up on Bundesliga title race, Manchester City tie
Currently fifth in the Bundesliga table, RB Leipzig are still in contention for the league trophy, only four points behind leaders Bayern Munich. Unlike previous seasons, the title race in the Bundesliga has become an intense battle this time, with Bayern, Borussia Dortmund (second), Union Berlin (third), SC Freiburg (fourth), Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt (sixth) in contention for the much-coveted trophy.
Leipzig even put in a good show in their Champions League Round of 16 first-leg encounter against Manchester City, drawing 1-1 at home. It was a tightly-fought affair, with the Premier League side dominating in the first-half and then the German side staging a comeback in the second-half to grab a draw. Travelling to the Etihad for the second-leg, Leipzig will be aiming to grab a famous win and have shown in the first-leg that they are capable of it.
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Speaking to Hindustan Times, Leipzig striker Yussuf Poulsen spoke about his side's performance in the Round of 16 match against Pep Guardiola's side and felt that his side showed too much respect in the first-half. "I think we were a little too passive, had a little bit too much of respect for City in the first half and we let them have the ball. It was not all bad and we didn't concede many chances. They scored through a big mistake from us, that shouldn't happen. We didn't have the ball much, we also didn't create much. That is sometimes how it is in these big games. There is not many goal chances. In the second-half, we were more aggressive, more passionate", said the Danish international.
"We tried to win the ball higher and got to stress even one of the best teams in the ball and the world. That's also why we have confidence that we can do big things in Etihad in a couple of weeks because we showed that in the second-half that we can stress the best players in the world and how we do our pressing. You can show two different faces in two different halves and that was the case yesterday. Sometime it is good, but you shouldn't do, and we learned that", he further added.
The second-leg is scheduled for March 15, and it could turn out to be an electrifying affair. Poulsen also gave some insight into the Bundesliga title race. When asked if Robert Lewandowski departure from Bayern is the main reason for such a close title race, he said, "Of course losing a big player like Lewandowski, he made 40 goals last season, year before 40 and a year before, almost 40. Also, the teams around are getting stronger and you can also see that in the international competitions. We have four Bundesliga teams going into the Round of 16 in Champions League and we had Frankfurt last year winning the Euro league and therefore five teams in the UCL this year."
"The teams are getting stronger and I think it is not Bayern is getting worse, the other teams are just getting better, closing the gap between the best and the rest", he further added. Leipzig face Frankfurt in their upcoming match on Saturday, at the Red Bull Arena and will be aiming for a win.
Watch the LIVE coverage of Bundesliga 2022-23 - RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt on Sony Sports Ten 5 channels on 25th February 2023 from 8:00 pm IST
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