First friendly awaits: RBL preparing for Meuselwitz | OneFootball

The summer break is well and truly over, as Ole Werner prepares to take charge of RB Leipzig in a game for the first time. On Saturday (kick-off: 15:30 CEST), the Red Bulls travel to Regionalliga side ZFC Meuselwitz for a charity match that also marks the team’s first pre-season friendly. The game will take place at the bluechip-Arena, just 46 kilometres from Leipzig – perfect for a short trip across the state border into Thuringia.

Aside from kicking off the pre-season campaign, the match also serves a good cause: all proceeds from the game will go towards improving Meuselwitz’s sporting facilities. We look ahead to the game and find out what our new head coach expects from his team.

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First minutes, first impressions

This will be Ole Werner’s first match on the sidelines for RB Leipzig – and the first chance for our summer signings to pull on the RBL shirt for real.

“It’s an important first test for us to start finding our rhythm as a team,” said the RBL head coach ahead of the game. “In these first 90 minutes of pre-season, I want to see high intensity. We’ve already done some tactical work in training, focusing on aggressive play off the ball and quick transitions. That’s exactly what I want to see on the pitch in Meuselwitz.”

A familiar opponent

Saturday’s clash will be something of a milestone – it’s the 10th time that RBL and ZFC Meuselwitz have faced off. The most recent encounter came just under a year ago, when the Red Bulls won 3-1 in a friendly at Cottaweg.

The hosts from Altenburger Land enjoyed a solid Regionalliga campaign last season, finishing 11th in the Nordost division and comfortably avoiding relegation.

Meuselwitz head coach Georg-Martin Leopold is looking forward to the challenge: “It’s a real highlight for us – and personally my first time facing a Bundesliga side. We’ll certainly have our hands full defensively, but this is a fantastic opportunity for our fans to see RBL up close.”

Streaming and highlights

Whether you’re in the stands or watching from home, there are plenty of ways to catch our first game of the summer:

Eyes on the training camp

After the Meuselwitz match, the team will travel to Donaueschingen for a training camp starting Wednesday. For Meuselwitz, things get serious straight away – they kick off their Regionalliga campaign the following Friday, away at Hertha BSC II.

A first outing, new faces, a new head coach – and all for a good cause. You couldn’t ask for a better way to kick off pre-season. Come along, support the Red Bulls and get in the mood for the new season with us!

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