COLOGNE • RB Leipzig will continue in their pursuit of their best Bundesliga points tally when they travel to Cologne today, vowed manager Julian Nagelsmann.
The 12-point gap to leaders Bayern Munich may be insurmountable this late into the season, but they are still on course to make it a season to cherish, having already made club history by reaching the last eight of the Champions League for the first time.
Leipzig have recorded 55 points and Nagelsmann's players have six games remaining, starting with the Cologne trip, to better their tally of 67 points, which they achieved in their debut German top-flight season in 2016-17.
In their way, however, stands fatigue, with the 32-year-old - the youngest active coach in the Bundesliga - conceding that his men were finding it tough to deal with the short turnaround in games after a two-month break caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The league must end by June 30 to be contractually in compliance with sponsors and broadcasters.
Ahead of the visit to Cologne, Nagelsmann said: We can achieve the best season in club history. To do this, we need to continue to score three points. We still have a chance to keep our good record intact.
"We were a bit tired and didn't have a top day (when Leipzig drew 2-2 with Hertha Berlin last Wednesday)... It's always a bit tiring to run after a backlog especially if you don't have fans behind you and the game against Mainz is still in your bones.
"We are happy to have enough time to prepare for the upcoming game in Cologne."
Their opponents, however, are no pushovers at home, picking up an impressive 18 points in nine home games since coach Markus Gisdol was appointed in November.
The newly-promoted side can almost guarantee safety with a win, which would put them 10 points clear of 16th-placed Dusseldorf.
The visitors will also be missing forward Yussuf Poulsen, who has been involved in 11 league goals this season, after he suffered an ankle injury during their win against Mainz.
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Points Leipzig need from their remaining six games to better their best Bundesliga season tally.
Defender Marcel Halstenberg is suspended after being sent off in the draw against Hertha and midfielder Kevin Kampl is a doubt. But Gisdol remains cautious, given that the Red Bulls still boast striker Timo Werner, the league's second-highest scorer on 24 goals.
He said: "When I look at our performances since the coronavirus break, I see phases in which we are impressive.
"But we also have periods where we lose a little bit of concentration. We've got to get rid of that. In the Bundesliga, that can't happen. We have to play consistently for 90 minutes."
REUTERS
COLOGNE V LEIPZIG
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