RB Leipzig's season has been defined by sharp contrasts in its opening weeks. A heavy 1-4 defeat to Champions League newcomers Como 1907 on September 10 piled pressure on head coach Martin Demichelis, following a 1-3 loss at Werder Bremen days earlier. The back-to-back defeats had already prompted internal concern, with Bild reporting that doubts about Demichelis's attacking ideas existed even before the season began. Sport director Marcel Schäfer publicly backed the Argentine, stating that "every individual has our support and our trust," while acknowledging the results fell short of the club's standards.

The 5-0 win over Hamburger SV on September 13 offered a timely response. It lifted Leipzig to fifth in the Bundesliga table with six points from three games, but the victory came at a cost. Midfielder Assan Ouedraogo, making his first Bundesliga start of the season, left the pitch before half-time with a suspected shoulder injury, the same problem that had kept him out for weeks during pre-season. Demichelis confirmed the outlook was not positive, describing Ouedraogo as a player the club genuinely needs.

The next test arrives on September 20, when Leipzig travel to Bayer Leverkusen's BayArena. Leverkusen currently sit 12th in the table, but the fixture carries weight given the clubs' rivalry and Leipzig's need to build on Saturday's win with greater consistency.