LEIPZIG, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 17: General view of the Zentralstadion prior to the international friendly between Germany and Cameroon at Zentralstadion Leipzig on November 17, 2004 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

RB Leipzig sit alone atop the Bundesliga, can they actually win it?

Posted by on Nov 21, 2016 11:30

No team was a bigger winner in Dortmund’s 2-1 win over Bayern Munich than RB Leipzig. The East German club now sit alone at the top of the table, three points clear of the defending champions. Leipzig’s rise to the top of the Bundesliga isn’t necessarily a surprise to the club, this was always the end result with the financial backing of Red Bull. What is a surprise is how quickly they’ve done it.

Seven years ago, Leipzig was making its debut in the German fifth division. Bayern Munich was winning their 21st championship that season, with Louis Van Gaal as manager. Since that season, Leipzig has been making their way through the German pyramid. Their ascent has ruffled more than a few feathers. Their ownership structure skirts the rules of Germany’s famous 50+1 rule, and the club has dealt with protests just about every step of the way. Including Friday on their visit to Leverkusen.

Protests aside, Leipzig’s start to the season has been remarkable. It should go without saying they’re the only team to go unbeaten after the first 11 games in their debut season in Bundesliga history. On the pitch, they’ve been exciting, aggressive and fearless.  Their average age is 23.9 years old and they have no other competition to focus on other than the Bundesliga. They’re able to run for 90 minutes, and so far this season they’ve been able to outlast opponents. Friday’s come from behind win against Leverkusen shows how well they’ve adapted to life in the top flight.

This youthful exuberance was always going to be part of the plan. Sporting director Ralf Rangnick is famous in Germany for creating aggressive, high pressing sides, and Leipzig is no different. Built around the talents of Emil Forsberg, Naby Keita and Timo Werner they’ve built the third highest scoring team in the league, just behind Dortmund and Bayern.

Leipzig has won six in a row, after Friday, and they’re a deserving table topper, or Spitzenreiter if you want the German word for it. The question is, can it last?

There seems to be a desire from many, especially in England, to label Leipzig as the German Leicester. To do so, however, fails to understand exactly what’s happening in Leipzig. This club isn’t in the Bundesliga to be a Cinderella team, they’re in it to win. Red Bull want a team in Germany that will compete for years with the likes of Bayern Munich. The fact that all this is happening sooner than anyone one thought doesn’t change the fact that this is their end goal, to be one of Germany’s elite teams. Leicester was one of the game’s great underdog stories, Leipzig is just ahead of schedule.

But going to back to the question of can it last this year, that’s hard to figure out. When Leicester went on their run to the championship last year they were blessed with not having to play in Europe. Leipzig also has that luxury. Leipzig was also knocked out of the DFB Pokal in August, leaving the Bundesliga as the only competition left on their calendar.

Die Roten Bullen have already beaten Dortmund, it was match-day 2 and an 89th-minute winner from Keita took everyone by surprise. Whether or not Dortmund underestimated their opponents, it was still a huge win for the newly promoted side.

However, the biggest test Leipzig will face will be in a few weeks time when they travel to the Allianz Arena to take on Bayern. Maybe people thought that Bayern vs Leipzig would be a battle of title contenders in a few years, but that billing might be accelerated. Despite Bayern’s struggles this season, going to Munich is still remarkably tough. The Bayern fans won’t make a welcoming atmosphere for the new kids on the block. Mathematically, a loss to Bayern at the Allianz Arena isn’t going to end their title chances. However, emotionally it might just be their most important game of the season. It will be a true test of how ready they are to compete with Germany’s elite.

Leicester’s run to a title last year was one of the biggest shocks in sport, they’ve regressed this season, which is unfortunate, but not unexpected. Leipzig’s success this year is different, as the only shock here is how quickly they’ve gotten to where they are. For better or worse, Leipzig have the financial backing to make themselves a permanent home at the top of the table.

No team has ever gone a full season undefeated before, so it’s likely RB Leipzig will slip up at some point. Whether that means they fall out of the title race is anyone’s guess. But right now they’re very much a part of that race. They might make the traditional powers in the league a little uncomfortable, but that’s all part of the plan. Leipzig didn’t come to the Bundesliga to make friends, they came to win. Right now, they’re winning, and they should be taken seriously.

About Harrison Prolic

Northern Illinois graduate with a degree in Journalism. Full-time page designer in Madison, Wisconsin. Part time follower of all things German soccer. I tweet about the Bundesliga and plenty of other sports @hprolic.

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