Marco Rose calls for Leipzig to be fully prepared to deal with Heidenheim's counter-attack

Red Bull Leipzig will host Heidenhamn on the 23rd round of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season, and Marco Rose says his team must be fully prepared to deal with Heidenhamn's counterattack ability.

In the last round of the league, Leipzig could only draw 0-0 with Augsburg away from home, and had 1 win and 4 draws in the last 5 rounds. In the first round of this season against Heidenheim, Leipzig relied on Openda to score and finally defeated Heidenheim 1-0 away from home.

"Heidenheim have had an incredible journey, doing very well in their first season in the Bundesliga and eventually qualifying for Europe," Leipzig coach Marco Rose said in a news conference. "They have responded to this challenge brilliantly, but they are also feeling the impact of fighting on two fronts."

"They rotate a lot and eventually they reach their limit at some point, but I think they do a great job. This is a great club with a great history and they're going to give us a tough challenge."

Marco Rose also pointed out, "We are the more favored side in this game and have a greater physical advantage. We have a week to train and prepare. Our task is to play a wonderful game and defend the three points at home. Heidenheim never gives up easily. No matter what the score is, they can always fight back strongly in the game. Their counterattack ability is particularly outstanding, so we must be fully prepared."

“We have been training very hard, we have been focusing on many key aspects, and it is a rare opportunity to have enough time to prepare. We need to show the results of our training in this game, and I hope that with the support of the home fans, we can have a good game.”

On the other hand, the 19-year-old Nedejkovic was loaned to Leipzig from Aston Villa at the beginning of this month. Speaking of the young defender, Marco Rose said, "He is adapting steadily, he is very focused and energetic, and brings positive energy to the team. He has only been here for a few weeks, so he is not fully familiar with everything in the team."

"Understanding is very important for us, but he has left a very positive impression and we are looking forward to his performance. If he starts in this game, I believe he will play well."