RB Leipzig Faces Setback After 4–1 Loss to Como

RB Leipzig left picking up the pieces after 4–1 humbling by Como

David Raum did not bother dressing it up. Standing in front of the cameras after RB Leipzig’s bruising 4–1 defeat to FC Como 1907, the captain looked and sounded like a man who had just watched his team unravel.

“This feels really awful, we got a real thrashing today. The first half was terrible,” the 28-year-old admitted, summing up a night in Lombardy that exposed far more than tactical flaws.

Leipzig never settled. The plan, Raum insisted, had been clear. The execution was anything but.

“The second [half was] maybe a touch better. Overall, it wasn't a good performance from us. We have to learn from this,” he said, searching for the few positives in a performance that rarely rose above flat.

He kept coming back to the same theme: courage on the ball, or rather the lack of it.

“We need to get together as soon as possible, we actually had a clear plan. But we weren't brave or clever enough with the ball again,” Raum said. “We had the chances to play. But it wasn't sharp enough, there just wasn't enough of anything today.”

Those words cut to the heart of Leipzig’s problem. The spaces were there. The options were there. The conviction was not.

Orban: “Our game plan didn’t work out”

If Raum spoke with the sting of a captain, Willi Orban offered the perspective of a veteran who has seen bad nights before and knew this one ranked high on the list.

“We had a reasonable game plan, but it quickly became clear that we couldn't get a grip on Como's game. This game hurts a lot today,” the 33-year-old defender said.

Como dictated the rhythm, moved the ball with purpose and dragged Leipzig into areas they did not want to defend. Leipzig, by contrast, looked passive, second-best in the duels and too hesitant in possession.

“Como showed us what it means to be active with the ball, to make decisions on the ball, and to play good passes in the final third,” Orban admitted, giving full credit to the hosts on a night when they outplayed their Bundesliga visitors in every key phase.

“We need to learn that from our opponents today; credit to them. Ultimately, our game plan didn't work out.”

For Leipzig, the message from both leaders was blunt and aligned: the plan existed, the ideas were there, but the bravery, precision and edge required at this level were missing.

The question now is how quickly they can turn that sting into a response.