"Bring the same level of focus to every game"

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RB Leipzig

·18 September 2026

"Bring the same level of focus to every game"

RB Leipzig travel to the BayArena to take on Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Sunday, 18th September (15:30 CEST) in their final game prior to the international break. The Red Bulls will be aiming to take all three points in order to head into the 16-day break on a positive note. Prior to the match, head coach Martín Demichelis spoke to the media on Friday and discussed the opposition, injuries to his squad and who could start in attack.

Find all the key quotes from today's pre-match press conference below.

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Micho on Leverkusen:

"We know that it's always tough to play in Leverkusen, but every game in the Bundesliga is a challenge. We need to bring the same level of focus to every game. Our aim is always the same: to look to attack from the start, to be bold and compact, as well as creating chances. I'm looking forward to facing a strong team ahead of the international break. Carles Martinez is from Spain, where possession-based football is very important. You could say that we have similar goals. What matters most to me, however, is what do we do when we're in possession? How do we play both in and out of possession? I'm confident that we will be capable of putting in a strong performance. That's what we want to show from the start."

Aiming for consistency at home and away:

"We need to play our away games with the same level of confidence that we have at the Red Bull Arena. In particular, it's always about fixing mistakes. That's something we do as a group and on an individual level. We conceded too easily in Bremen and in Como. Three days later, we then put in a strong performance against HSV and kept a clean sheet. I have full confidence in the squad. The players also need to have confidence in themselves, and trust that they can play well in every stadium, regardless of if it's home or away. It's always about putting the same effort and conviction into every play."

How to fill the gaps left by the injured players:

"Rocco and Baumi are both working hard and are making good progress. I think we will be able to ease them back into parts of team training after the international break. I don't want to pinpoint an exact date where they'll be ready to return. We've been a bit unfortunate with the injuries to Marc and Assan, which was tough. But, that's part of sport. We're focused on what's ahead. We'll have 11 players out on the pitch in Leverkusen as always."

Attacking options:

"Tidiam Gomis did very well during pre-season. He's a hard worker and can play at any position in attack. He occupied a central role against Gladbach and everyone was asking, "What is the coach doing?!" I'm very happy with how he's developed. You can tell that he's ready. Rômulo has been in good form for a few weeks. He's working hard in training. He's making a positive impression and it was important for him to get a goal against HSV. We still have time to decide whether he'll start or not, but either way, he'll be ready."