RB Leipzig Suffers Heavy 4-1 Defeat to Como

David Raum did not bother dressing it up. RB Leipzig had just been hammered 4-1 by FC Como 1907 in Lombardy, and the captain cut a blunt, frustrated figure as he tried to make sense of a night that went badly wrong.

"This feels really awful, we got a real thrashing today. The first half was terrible," the 28-year-old admitted, the words landing as heavily as the scoreline itself.

Leipzig never settled. The plan they had taken into the game seemed to evaporate under Como’s intensity and clarity on the ball. Passes went astray, pressing triggers misfired, and the back line repeatedly found itself exposed.

Raum did not hide behind excuses.

"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, stressing that the problems were as much mental as tactical.

"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.

"We had the chances to play. But it wasn't sharp enough, there just wasn't enough of anything today."

Those last words summed up Leipzig’s evening: not enough aggression, not enough composure, not enough control.

At his side in the mixed zone, Willi Orban echoed the captain’s assessment. The 33-year-old defender, usually a pillar of stability, sounded as wounded as the scoreline suggested.

"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 Hungarian said.

Como dictated the rhythm, showing more conviction and quality in the decisive areas. While Leipzig hesitated, the hosts played with purpose.

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

For Leipzig’s senior figures to talk openly about learning from Como underlines how sobering this defeat was. The response now will say far more about this team than the scoreline ever could.