Ole Werner ahead of RBL vs. HSV: "Time to get back to work"

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RB Leipzig

·16 October 2025

Ole Werner ahead of RBL vs. HSV: "Time to get back to work"

The boys are back from international duty are back and it’s finally time for another home game this weekend. Before the Red Bulls take on Hamburger SV in front of a sold-out Red Bull Arena on Saturday afternoon (kick-off: 15:30 CET), head coach Ole Werner spoke to the media at Thursday’s press conference.

From ways to keep improving to the return of Yussuf Poulsen – here’s a summary of the key talking points.

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Latest team news:

Benjamin Henrichs and Kosta Nedeljokvic remain unavailable.
Max Finkgräfe has started training with the team again for the first time since his injury, but the Hamburg game will come too soon for him.
Xaver Schlager is looking good, according to Ole Werner, and is an option for the squad.

Full squad update

What can we expect from HSV?

“We’re coming up against a team that have really settled into life back in the Bundesliga and have put in some strong performances recently. Hamburg are strong from counter-attacks and are well organised in possession. They always have a clear idea of what they want to do. Their squad changed a lot over the summer, but you can see they’ve grown together as a team. For us, it’s about staying switched on and alert in every phase of the game, and making sure we've got enough cover.I don’t know Merlin Polzin personally and we’ve never faced each other, but I can see he’s doing an excellent job with his team. He’s managed to achieve what many before him couldn’t at HSV – that makes him a very good coach in my eyes. I’m looking forward to meeting him at the weekend.”

The international break

“The international break went really well for us overall – both in terms of the teams’ results and the players’ individual performances. There are plenty of guys you could pick out who had their own highlights. Antonio Nusa, for example, was involved in all of Norway’s goals, I believe. The good thing is that everyone came through it fit and healthy. We’ve had almost the full group back out on the pitch this week. As for me, I spent a few days in Mallorca soaking up some sunshine – now it’s time to get back to work.”

What's going well and what can be improved?

“I feel right at home here in Leipzig and have the sense that we work really well together as a coaching team. I’ve really settled in and I enjoy coming to work every day.What matters now is that we focus on the right things with the team. There are areas we can still improve, such as our pressing and how clinical we are in attack. We’re good at counter-pressing, but not yet amazing, and that’s something we can keep getting better at. It’s a process, and it’s completely normal that after six games we’re not the finished article yet.We’re happy with the points we’ve picked up so far, but now it’s about staying consistent and taking the next step forward. We have to focus on ourselves and our own development – that’s the best way to make sure we’re competing at the top come the end of the season. And in the cup, our goal is clear: we want to progress to the next round.”

Yussuf Poulsen's return:

“I only spent a short time with Yussi here in Leipzig, but I got to know him as a really pleasant person. He wouldn’t have built such strong relationships with so many people at the club if he weren’t such a great guy. We had an open and honest conversation before the season about his situation and future prospects.It certainly won’t be a disadvantage for HSV that he knows a lot of our players and how they react in certain situations. But on the flip side, I also know some of their players and can share that insight with my team – and plenty of our lads can do the same when it comes to Yussi. So I don’t think it’ll make a huge difference overall.Yussi achieved a lot here over many years and made a real contribution to RBL’s success. I’m sure he’ll get the reception he deserves on Saturday as the club’s record appearance maker. Nonetheless, we’ll do our best to make life difficult for him on the pitch.”

Options in attack:

“It’s important to have different types of players available and to be able to react within games. A full squad has made us strong and it needs to keep making us strong. I’m pleased with every option we have, those are always good decisions to be able to make as a coach. Every player has to handle it when they’re not happy with their role on a particular matchday, but there’s always the opportunity to earn a place through performance.Conrad Harder is a physical player with a lot of positive attributes. However, he joined us quite late. He’s trained with the team for maybe four or five weeks in total, with international breaks in between. I really like his power, his dynamism and his runs in behind. He can still improve his timing when pressing, but he’s on the right track. Romulo is doing well too, but it’s a long season and everyone will get their chance.”

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