RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose is confident his side can beat Manchester City at the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday night but acknowledges they may also “need a bit of luck” against the European champions.
Rose’s men head into the game on the back of a good run of form, having not lost in the Bundesliga in five matches. In contrast, Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City arrive in Germany in the unusual position of having lost their last two outings – against Newcastle in the EFL Cup and Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday.
City beat Leipzig 7-0 in the Champions League last season but Rose is not expecting a repeat.
He said: “The 7-0 defeat is history for us. We know what to expect on Wednesday. You need a bit of luck, as well as a good performance, to beat teams like City.
“We have faith that we can get a win at home with the fans behind us.
“We want to bring the energy we need to have into the game and use the opportunity to test ourselves against this opposition.”
The fixture will provide a swift return to Leipzig for defender Josko Gvardiol, who left the club for City in the summer.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Josko, with his skill, his ability to learn and his humility, has had no teething problems at Manchester City. He’s doing very well there,” added Rose.
“We are looking forward to seeing him again because not only is he a great player but also an outstanding person.”
There was mixed news on the injury front for the home side. Benjamin Henrichs has been ruled out, but Kevin Kampl, Timo Werner and Yussuf Poulsen are set to feature.
