Ahead of the fourth round of the Champions League group stage, RB Leipzig will host Man City. RB Leipzig head coach Martín Demichelis, a former Man City player, spoke to the media ahead of the match.
On his relationship with Man City coach Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca worked with Pep (Guardiola) twice: first as coach of Man City's U23 team and later as his assistant. Together, they spent the most successful year of Pep's coaching career.
I have a very close relationship with Enzo Maresca. He is one of my best friends in football, almost like a brother. We know each other very well, and I understand his philosophy and ideas. Enzo is a winner, and he will work hard to win titles for Man City. I had three wonderful seasons at Man City myself, but that was a long time ago, and coaching is a completely different job.
How do you defend against Haaland?
There is no simple answer to how to defend against Haaland. He is an excellent striker. We must try to control possession and stop the opposition from advancing early. The key is to play as an organized, aggressive team and press Man City.
On RB Leipzig's development and Christoph Baumgartner
The players need time to get to know me, and I need time to get to know them. We have played three excellent matches in recent weeks. We have become more consistent and performed well away at Schalke, both with and without the ball. Next, we will try to reach the same level when we face a top opponent at home.
Christoph Baumgartner has recovered well physically. He played some minutes against Real Madrid and another 30 minutes last weekend. Now we face Man City, and I am happy that he is ready to start.
