The secrets behind RBL's defensive prowess | OneFootball

Keeping a clean sheet will always improve your chances of winning football matches. That much has been clear across RBL's first 15 games of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, as the Red Bulls have one of the strongest defences in the German top flight.

Only FC Bayern München (11 conceded) and Borussia Dortmund (12) have conceded less goals than Ole Werner's side (19) this season.

What are the reason's behind this? One thing is for sure: This defensive success has not come about by chance.

Cottaweg's bouncers

Willi Orbán and Castello Jr. make up one of the strongest centre-half duos in the league, with both having won more than 66% of their challenges this season. No other defensive pairing has achieved as high a statistic in the Bundesliga this season.

It's no coincidence that these two defensive titans are almost always on the pitch together. Willi has played 1,330 minutes in the league so far, making him the outfield player with the most playing time. Castello Jr. follows in third place with 1,260 minutes.

Consistency is key

David Raum, is another player who rarely misses a minute - the left-back has played 1,327 minutes this season. This means that he and his two teammates in the middle have essentially played every minute this season. Chad Bitshiabu came into the starting XI for Castello Jr. on one occasion.

Ridle Baku has clocked 1,088 minutes this season at right-back. Unfortunately, the Germany international was unavailable for several matches from the beginning of December, which disrupted our regular back four.

It's clear that the team's well-coordinated approach and intuitive understanding in defense are a major factor in the team's success.

Pete "The Wall" Gulácsi

Peter Gulácsi hasn't missed a single second in the league and has repaid the faith shown in him with consistently strong performances. The Hungarian has already recorded seven clean sheets – only Dortmund's Gregor Kobel (8) has more than our goalkeeper.

"The Wall" has already been awarded the "Weiße Weste" (Golden Glove equivalent) award on three separate occasions in 2019 (16 clean sheets), 2021 (15) and 2025 (14). Could number four be on the cards?

Attack together, defend together

A crucial factor for success – despite the attacking prowess – is having a fundamental defensive approach. Every player is involved in the work without the ball, because the team is more important than the individual.

"Anyone who doesn't track back can't play for us. That's been clear from day one," emphasised Ole Werner  at a pre-match press conference in November.

"We always have to defend together. That's not just a saying, I really mean it. That's the foundation of our success," the coach continued. "We pay very close attention to that and set up the team accordingly. Every player has to get involved – both attackers and defenders."

The wingers are a prime example of this: Antonio Nusa, Johan Bakayoko and Yan Diomande provide pace going forward, but they also impress with their intensive tracking back and great work rate off the ball.

Discover more

Fixtures Red Bull Arena Men's First Team Jugendförderung Fan Zone