Our next opponents: RB Leipzig

The lowdown on our next opponents:

Position

The newcomers had eleven players away on international duty last week. That may be four less than the Werkself but it does demonstrate the huge personnel potential at Leipzig that doesn't really tally with a side newly promoted to the Bundesliga. The table tells the rest of the story: 24 points after 10 games, not one single game lost, level with Bayern, five wins in succession, and Dortmund beaten already. You could hardly ask for more. The Bulls are smashing their way up the Bundesliga

Personnel

Leipzig have quality players across the pitch. The defence around Compper, Orban and Halstenberg is settled and solid. In midfield, the playmaker Naby Keita (three goals) plus the wingers Marcel Sabitzer (three) and Emil Forsberg (four) pose an enormous threat on goal from different angles with Forsberg and Keita, in particular, being extremely important for the finely balanced structure of the team. And anyone having the choice in attack between Timo Werner (five goals), David Selke (two) and Yussuf Poulsen (one goal) certainly has options. There is great excitement about the development of the powerful, 19-year-old Scotsman Oliver Burke. Bayer 04 loanee Kyriakos Papadopoulos has not featured much.

Potential

The normal way of assessing promoted teams is not valid in Leipzig. The coach Ralph Hasenhüttl, who moved to a club with considerably better prospects after keeping Ingolstadt in the top flight, has put together a team capable of penetrating the leading pack of established teams at the top of the table. It was clear that Leipzig would be able to compete given the enormous financial backing of the Austrian Red Ball billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz. The fact the upturn came so quickly may be surprising but does demonstrate the enormous quality in the squad. "We're proud of the points we've picked up. Nothing has being given to us and it's all down to very hard work," said Hasenhüttl. In addition, the club has made a serious and sustainable investment in a state-of-the-art training centre and academy. The huge ambition at Leipzig is clear to see.

Problems

There is nothing to moan about at Leipzig on the football front even with the long-term absence of the defenders Lukas Klosterman (torn cruciate) and Bernardo (meniscus). The position in the table and the points total are right as is the perspective. However, the club, founded as recently as 2009, has attracted a certain amount of hostility. RB is viewed with great scepticism by many fans in Germany as it was planned and developed on a marketing department drawing board. Room for improvement for the Saxons may be needed in terms of sympathy but certainly not on the pitch. Promotion to the third division in 2013 was followed by rapid progress to the second tier in 2014 and promotion to the Bundesliga this year has seen Leipzig grow their wings straightaway in the top flight.

Prediction

"Leipzig will be a dangerous opponent in the medium term," said Uli Hoeneß in a recent assessment of the upstarts from Saxony. The respect the club has earned, with the cool planner Ralf Rangnick as architect, in such a short time is enormous. Of course, it helps RB only having to compete in one competition while other clubs have to deal with playing a flurry of games due to European commitments. It definitely wouldn't be a sensation if Leipzig show what they can do on the European stage in the 2017/18 season.