RB Leipzig are in crisis. A 1-4 defeat away to Como 1907 in their Champions League opener has pushed coach Martin Demichelis to the brink, with reports from Bild indicating the water is already up to his neck after just three competitive weeks into the season.

The result in Como was damning on multiple levels. Leipzig were directionless in attack and lacked the pressing intensity that defines the club's identity. Captain David Raum did not hide his frustration, saying the performance was simply not good enough and that changes were needed immediately. The loss compounded a 1-3 Bundesliga defeat at Werder Bremen the previous weekend, a result that sport director Marcel Schäfer called a genuine wake-up call.

Concerns about Demichelis are not new. According to Bild, doubts existed within the club even before the season began, with internal voices questioning whether the Argentine had enough ideas in possession-based football. He replaced Ole Werner in the summer after arriving from relegated RCD Mallorca, and Leipzig activated a release clause to bring him in on a contract running until 2028.

The early promise of a 3-0 Bundesliga win over Borussia Mönchengladbach and a 6-0 DFB-Pokal rout of Eintracht Trier now feels distant. Leipzig sit eighth in the Bundesliga table. Two matches against Hamburger SV and Bayer Leverkusen before the international break now look like defining tests for Demichelis and possibly his last chance to save his job.