Striker Romulo brings ‘the Brazilian way’ to RB Leipzig’s ‘restart’ | OneFootball

Ahead of their first 2024/25 Bundesliga home fixture at the Red Bull Arena, RB Leipzig supporters unfurled a banner. Just prior to kickoff, fans in the main FanKurve revealed a large pennant depicting a finger pressing the “restart button“. The message to both the players and club was clear.

Leipzig – like fellow German company team Bayer Leverkusen – are in the midst of a massive rebuilding project personnel-wise. The German Red Bulls will be relying on a whole host of new arrivals to carry them back to Europe. One such new face, Brazilian striker Romulo, gave the fans some hope.

Romulu scored Leipzig’s second goal in the team’s 2-0 home win over Heidenheim. Like fellow goal-scorer Christoph Baumgartner, the 23-year-old declared himself delighted to be a part of the “new RB project“.

“The important thing is that we’re improving as a team,” Romulo said in the mixed zone. “The first week [a 6-0 drubbing against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena] wasn’t good, but now we’ve gotten off to a very good start at home.“

Romulo started alone up top in place of the ineffective Loïs Openda, who looks to be leaving the club one way or another. The former Göztepe forward did struggle to break free for mot of the match. He nevertheless made a very good case for a place in the starting XI with his 78th-minute finish.

The lead up to the 2-0 actually counted as an excellent example of a solid “team goal“. Yan Diomandé, Nicolas Seiwald, and Ridle Baku all furnished excellent set-up work. Romulo still dazzled with a filthy-slick back-heel finish that left Heidenheim keeper Diant Ramaj with no chance.

“This league is very tough and I have to improve week-for-week to catch up,” Romulo said. “I had to improvise on my goal. That’s the Brazilian way.“

GGFN | Peter Weis