A start that leaves us wanting more

In partnership with

RB Leipzig

·30 August 2026

A start that leaves us wanting more

Three goals, three points and an impressive tifo across the stadium. The 3-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach was about more than simply getting the Bundesliga season off to a winning start. Here are the stories from our first home game of the campaign.

The new RBL approach is taking shape

Intensity, aggression without the ball and looking to get forward quickly after winning possession – the victory over Gladbach already showed plenty of what Micho wants from his team.

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The visitors had the better of the opening stages and came close to taking the lead when they hit the post, but the Red Bulls gradually began to take control. Ridle Baku's opening goal was a perfect example of the approach. Tidi Gomis and Ridle combined down the right before our full-back finished clinically.

“We want to play aggressively, defend on the front foot and break quickly when we win the ball back,” said the goalscorer afterwards as he described the new approach. Not everything came off yet, but after only a few weeks under Micho, his first Bundesliga game in charge already offered a clear glimpse of what he wants his team to become.

Nusa picks up where he left off at the World Cup

One Red Bull who played a major part was someone who produced plenty of magic during the summer. Many RBL fans were hoping to see that same Antonio Nusa at club level – and our number 7 delivered straight away. After an excellent World Cup, the Norwegian brought that form straight back to Leipzig.

Shortly after the break, Antonio picked up the ball, drove towards the penalty area and finished the move himself to make it 2-0. The goal showcased exactly what he’s about: pace, a willingness to take defenders on and drive straight at goal.

Nusa’s qualities are well known by now, and he wasted no time showing them again in the Bundesliga opener.

Rocco puts in the hard yards and gets his reward

One of our new arrivals also made an immediate impression. Rocco Reitz covered plenty of ground, got stuck in and won the ball back time and again on his Bundesliga debut for the Red Bulls against his former club, showing exactly why RBL signed him.

He then got his reward at the other end in the 66th minute. Christo Nkunku had only just come on when he teed up Rocco for the third. Rocco kept his celebrations muted against his former club, while Christo had barely been back on the pitch at the Red Bull Arena before he was involved in another Leipzig goal.

Marcel Schäfer had a fitting anecdote to share after the final whistle. Just a few minutes before Rocco scored, our managing director had been thinking that he would probably have taken him off as a precaution by that stage. His tongue-in-cheek conclusion after the 3-0 win was that it was a good job he wasn’t the coach.

A tifo to remember

Micho had seven weeks of pre-season behind him before taking his place on the touchline at his new home for the first time as RBL head coach in the Bundesliga. He marked the occasion with three goals, three points and a winning start in front of a sell-out crowd.

The first memorable sight of the day actually came before kick-off, as the fans unveiled a spectacular tifo marking 70 years of the Zentralstadion that stretched across almost the entire Red Bull Arena. It was the first time in ten years that a display had involved the whole stadium.

It was a spectacular sight and the perfect backdrop to a day that delivered both on the pitch and in the stands. As Micho said after the game: “With a sell-out crowd and a tifo like that, it was something really special.”