Loïs Openda has been one of Leipzig's main men in the team's remarkable start to the Bundesliga. - © Boris Streubel/Bundesliga

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5 reasons RB Leipzig will beat Celtic in the UEFA Champions League

16.10.2024

Marco Rose's men have been purring in domestic competition this season while a renaissance in the Champions League appears imminent. bundesliga.com explains why an upturn in RBL fortunes is likely to begin against Celtic on Matchday 4.

1) Backs to the wall

Let’s face it, kicking off their European title tilt this term with three straight losses means Leipzig are up against it in terms of qualification right now. But, lest we forget, the Saxony-based side have been here before, and at a time when Celtic formed an important part of the narrative too. In 2022/23, RBL suffered back-to-back reverses to start the Champions League group stages on the back foot.

However, Rose’s team subsequently put Celtic to the sword twice and eventually downed Real Madrid as they made it through to the knockout stages. Added to the fact that this term’s new Champions League ‘league phase’ is a touch more forgiving to teams who have failed to start like a house on fire, and Die Roten Bullen have a huge incentive to turn their European campaign around with three valuable points, starting on Matchday 4.

Watch: Leipzig lighting up the autumn

2) Domestic beasts

There are few teams on the continent who can boast a start to domestic competition as good as Leipzig’s. Rose’s charges are on a roll and have only lost one Bundesliga games so far this season.

Striker Loïs Openda is, once again, making waves in the German top-flight top scorers’ chart with five goals (and one assist) to his name while he is being ably assisted by his Slovenian side-kick Benjamin Šeško, who has five Bundesliga goal involvements (three goals, two assists) plus three Champions League goals in three appearances in 2024/25.

With that so far unmatched defence – led by the ever-capable Willi Orbán – in the top tier this term and an unbeaten top-flight run that stretched to 19 games before defeat against Dortmund, Leipzig are ready to use the above domestic dominance to help kick-start an upward trend in Europe.

Watch: are Leipzig genuine Bundesliga title candidates?

3) Celtic versus German efficiency

The Scottish champions are rarely happy when having to face a Bundesliga team. The Bhoys already suffered a 7-1 throttling at the hands of Borussia Dortmund this season while their overall record in European competition against German opponents reads: played 29, Lost 20. The recent Dortmund defeat represented Celtic’s fifth successive loss against Bundesliga sides while Leipzig have won four of the six games against the Glasgow giants.

4) European pedigree

Celtic can proudly point to a European Cup in their impressive trophy cabinet. The Hoops famously defeated Inter Milan to become European champions back in 1967. These days, however, Leipzig boast the better form in terms of season-on-season continental results.

Benjamin Šeško has three Champions League goals to his name this term. - IMAGO/Uwe Koch

For example, RBL are currently featuring in European club football’s elite tournament for a sixth successive term, and their seventh in all. The Bundesliga side have also reached the tournament knockouts in four of their last five attempts, including a run to the semi-finals as recently as 2020.

5) In Marco Rose they trust

Now in his third season at the Leipzig helm, local-boy-turned-boss Rose looks to have hit a sweet spot with the men from Saxony. A DFB Cup winner in his first season in charge at the Red Bull Arena, the tactician added the DFL Supercup the following campaign while he has steered his team to top-four finishes in the Bundesliga in each of his previous two seasons in charge.

Leipzig born and raised: Marco Rose is leading Die Roten Bullen's charge in Saxony this season. - DFL/Getty Images/Boris Streubel

Now fighting it out at the top of the division, Rose has clearly found his groove and with a squad to match his ambitions, masterminding a European turnaround now appears likely after the disappointment of defeats to Atlético Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool earlier this season.