Orban and Gulácsi hoping to re-establish RB Leipzig as German football’s best of the rest

There was a time when RB Leipzig were not only considered to be the best German Bundesliga team after Bayern Munich, but they were also tipped to surpass the perennial champions.

Sadly for them, that ascendance never came to pass: in the meantime, Borussia Dortmund have steadied their ship and Bayer Leverkusen have become Bundesliga champions.

So RB Leipzig have fallen down the pecking order somewhat in German football, but they have a clear philosophy and a talented squad – with Hungarian internationals Willi Orban and Péter Gulácsi at the heart of it.

Red Bull Need Wings

You might think that Leverkusen’s title win during the 2023/24 season would have altered the landscape of the German Bundesliga, but according to the sports betting odds that’s not the case – they’re only +225 second favourites behind Bayern Munich (-450), with Leipzig back at +1100.

The sports betting tips columns will focus on the battle between upstarts Leverkusen and the wounded animal that is Bayern Munich; they won the Bundesliga title for eleven seasons in a row prior to 2023/24, so you suspect they won’t have taken their humbling too kindly.

Leipzig and Dortmund will be desperate not to become a mere afterthought in discussions of the destination of the Bundesliga title this term, and a case can be made for both.

Dortmund, of course, reached the final of the Champions League last season – they could be more of a danger on the domestic front this time around, assuming they don’t have a similar distraction in 2024/25.

Dani Olmo speaks exclusively to @BarcaOneFCB pic.twitter.com/NYmgoxlTxB

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 15, 2024

As for Leipzig, Marco Rose has once again overseen a quiet evolution during the off-season, bringing in a host of promising talents. The loss of star man Dani Olmo to Barcelona hurts, but that’s the Leipzig way: buy low, sell high… $55 million in the Spaniard’s case.

Besides, they still have plenty of top players waiting in the wings…

Seeing Red

A captain has a responsibility on their shoulders to lead by example.

And Willi Orban has shown tremendous leadership qualities throughout his time at Leipzig, helping to get the best out of the teammates around him.

That selfless streak was in evidence once again on the opening day of the Bundesliga campaign, when he effectively sacrificed himself for the good of the team.

A Bochum attacker was threatening to break clear into a dangerous position, so Orban came across and brought him down with a professional foul.

Slow motion replays hinted that the Hungarian had got a little touch on the ball, which would have saved him, however the match officials didn’t agree and so instead Orban was shown the red card.

❗️Red card for our captain Willi #Orban .

84th minute | 1:0 #RBLBOC #Bundesliga

— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) August 24, 2024

Leipzig hung on to win the game 1-0, with Rose praising Orban for ‘sacrificing himself’ for the good of the team.

The 31-year-old will now miss Leipzig’s next two Bundesliga fixtures, but he will be back soon enough and ready to resume his position as the side’s defensive catalyst.

Behind him, Gulacsi is celebrating his tenth anniversary as a Leipzig player, with the goalkeeper kicking off his milestone season with a clean sheet against Bochum.

Fans of the Red Bull powered club know that with their Hungarian duo marshalling the defence, they remain very much in safe hands.