Borussia Mönchengladbach – RB Leipzig: Leipzig’s Attacking Struggles in Rose’s Final Match (1-0)

RB Leipzig's 1-0 defeat to Borussia Mönchengladbach might have seemed surprising on paper, but a closer look at the match reveals why Leipzig's attack faltered. Marco Rose's side struggled to break through a well-organized Gladbach defense, continuing a season-long trend of offensive inconsistency. When the dust settled, this game turned out to be Rose's last in charge, as Leipzig's inability to create high-quality chances once again proved costly.

Tactical analysis and match report by Bergas Agung.

Leipzig had won just five games across all competitions in 2024, with an ongoing inability to generate consistent attacking output despite the presence of talented forwards like Benjamin Šeško, Loïs Openda, and Xavi Simons. Against Gladbach, Rose opted to leave Šeško on the bench due to a recent injury, starting Christoph Baumgartner alongside Openda in attack. Amadou Haidara came into midfield, while Lukas Klostermann replaced the absent Lutsharel Geertruida in defense.

Gladbach also had to compensate for missing personnel. Star striker Tim Kleindienst was suspended, with Tomáš Čvančara stepping in up front. Youngster Rocco Reitz partnered captain Julian Weigl in midfield, and Franck Honorat was preferred over Nathan N'Goumou on the right wing. Meanwhile, 18-year-old goalkeeper Tiago Pereira Cardoso retained his spot and once again delivered a clean sheet.

Gladbach's Defensive Structure Frustrates Leipzig

Leipzig set up in a 4-1-5 shape in possession, but Gladbach countered effectively with a 4-2-4 defensive structure. This setup ensured numerical superiority against . . .