Nagelsmann confident of leading RB Leipzig to victory at Old Trafford

Highly rated RB Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann is confident of leading last year’s Champions League semi-finalists to victory in their first-ever meeting with Manchester United.

Fresh from the most successful European campaign in the club’s short history, die Roten Bullen have kicked off the 2020-21 campaign in convincing fashion.

Leipzig are the early Bundesliga leaders and opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir thanks to on-loan Manchester City left back Angelino’s impressive brace.

Now they head to Old Trafford looking to win their first meeting with three-time European champions United, who Nagelsmann believes are on the right track after a shoddy start to the season.

RB Leipzig’s Angelino (second) from right celebrates sealing a 2-0 win against Istanbul Basaksehir — *RB Leipzig’s Angelino (second from right) celebrates sealing a 2-0 win against Istanbul Basaksehir (Markus Schreiber/AP)*

‘I think the start of Manchester United’s season wasn’t that good but the last games I think went in the right direction,’ the Leipzig boss said on the eve of the game.

‘We know that they are very good and very tough to defeat, especially when you talk about the forwards or the offensive midfielders.

‘[They have] a lot of qualities in the final third and we have to be aware of these situations. We have to close the space behind our defensive line.

‘If we are very aggressive and we are watchful on these situations, then we are self-confident enough to talk about winning the game tomorrow.

*RB Leipzig lost Timo Werner to Chelsea in the summer (John Walton/PA)*

‘We prepared different formations. They played a different formation against PSG and Newcastle, and other teams in the league, they did it a different way.

‘We’ve tried to solve the situation. We will see the starting lineup tomorrow and then I think we are well prepared.

‘As I mentioned, we are self-confident enough – our start in the league was very good, start in the cup and also the Champions League – to talk about winning the game tomorrow.’

Leipzig head to an empty Old Trafford having already comprehensively beaten one Premier League side this year, with Tottenham overcome 1-0 in London and 3-0 in Germany in their Champions League last-16 meeting.

Nagelsmann openly spoke about going for another victory against English opposition, but the 33-year-old manager was coy when asked if he wanted to manage in the Premier League.

‘At the moment my personal career and my plans for the future don’t count,’ said the boyhood Bayern Munich fan, whose heart was broken by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s late winner in the 1999 Champions League final.

‘It’s important to prepare the team for tomorrow, to win the game tomorrow, to be successful in the Bundesliga.

‘I think it’s normal if you are a young guy, you always think about your future. That’s normal and also part of the job, but at the moment I’m happy in Leipzig.

‘I do not know how the future will be for me, but at the moment I’m happy and only the success of my team and my players count at the moment.’