Soccer (Football)
Why it's not just any friendly for RB Leipzig
Pre-season is heating up for RB Leipzig as coach Ole Werner faces his first real challenge in a key friendly against Atalanta. Find out what it all means – and where to watch it.
Before they kick off the 2025-26 Bundesliga season away at Bayern Munich on the evening of August 22, RB Leipzig have a big week ahead of them as preparations start to ramp up. Their third game of pre-season, against Atalanta BC, is more than just another friendly. This is the team’s first significant test since Ole Werner took over as head coach at the end of last season.
In the last couple of weeks, RB Leipzig have faced ZFC Meuselwitz and French side Toulouse, winning 3-0 and 7-0 respectively. Considering the Ligue 1 opposition finished 10th last season, such a winning margin is an impressive start to the campaign.
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After easy wins, Atalanta offer Leipzig a real challenge
The game is Atalanta’s first pre-season outing before the 25/26 season, with a match against Köln taking place next week. The Italian side have had a great few years. Having won the Europa League in the 2023-24 season, they competed in last season's Champions League and finished an impressive third place in Serie A. They should, therefore, pose a real test for Ole Werner’s side.
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Leipzig’s evolving squad set for key test
Ole Werner is head coach at RB Leipzig
© RB Leipzig
Beyond Werner taking over as manager, both sides have seen significant squad changes this summer, in terms of departures and new arrivals. In Italy, Atalanta have lost the 2024/25 Serie A top scorer, Mateo Retegui, to the Saudi Pro League and signed Odilon Kossounou from Leverkusen to bolster defensive options. They’ve been linked to Jean-Phillipe Mateta of Crystal Palace, but still haven’t secured the striker reinforcement they’re after.
However, the majority of Leipzig’s business has been incoming. Midfielder Arthur Vermeeren has arrived from Atletico Madrid after a successful loan last season, Yan Diomande has been brought in from Leganes and Yohan Bakayoko bolsters the wide forward options after an impressive season at PSV Eindhoven.
With several new arrivals and the core group still largely intact, the Atalanta match offers Werner a valuable opportunity to shape and assess his attacking options ahead of the season opener.
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Why RB Leipzig vs Atalanta is more than a friendly
It’s those changes to the squad, the fact that Atalanta are the biggest test Werner has faced as Leipzig manager yet, and the expectations after a poor campaign last season that mean this weekend’s match is more than just another friendly.
Werner has acknowledged that himself. After a week of training in Donaueschingen, where the Leipzig head coach says the team “worked incredibly hard." He added: "We're looking good out on the pitch already, but the real tests are still to come. We will have a better insight after the friendly against Atalanta."
While Atalanta will be a less potent attacking threat after losing Retegui, they’ve been consistent defensively for a couple of seasons now. Like many Italian teams, Juric’s new side have been hard to break down, and it will be a challenge for Leipzig’s new-look attack.
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Watch Werner’s philosophy in action
Loïs Openda is set to play a central role in Leipzig’s attack
© Thomas Eisenhuth/Red Bull Content Pool
Loïs Openda and Yohan Bakayoko both scored against Toulouse last week, but they’ll find Atalanta to be a far bigger challenge. It’ll be important to utilise their pace in wide areas against a team that’s not blessed with speed in defensive zones.
This will also be the first time Leipzig fans get to see Werner’s philosophy in action. How will the team be set up against a very different opposition? Will new attacking patterns be clear to see? And will last season’s defensive vulnerabilities be mitigated as much as possible?
That’s the key reason why Saturday’s game is so important. The fans are desperate to see how well this team can perform when under pressure. Dropping to seventh in the table after Champions League qualification the season before wasn’t good enough for the loyal fanbase, and was a clear step back.
Xavi Simons remains a focal point in Leipzig’s midfield set-up
© Fabio Piva/Red Bull Content Pool
While the first two games of pre-season are promising, it’s vital to see some level of progression and solidity against Atalanta. Not only will it give Werner a great look at the squad in its current shape, but the game will also give fans a chance to increase their confidence ahead of the new season. The first game of the league campaign couldn’t be more difficult, so a strong pre-season is a necessity.
Without Champions League football to distract from the Bundesliga season in 2025-26, Werner and his team don’t have many excuses for a poor showing. A strong performance against Atalanta this weekend will be a great start for what will hopefully be a strong season.
Tune in to the match RB Leipzig vs. Atalanta at 3pm on Saturday streaming live on Red Bull TV to see how the team is performing after a few weeks of intense training and how they manage an impressively consistent Atalanta side.