RB Leipzig are enduring a difficult start to the 2026/27 season, and the pressure on head coach Martin Demichelis is growing with each passing week. A 1:3 league defeat at Werder Bremen was followed by a 1:4 home loss to Champions League newcomers Como 1907 on matchday one of the group stage, leaving the club in 12th place in the Bundesliga with just three points from two games. The performance against Como drew sharp criticism, with captain David Raum publicly admitting the display was unacceptable and calling for immediate change.

The scrutiny surrounding Demichelis is not entirely new. Reports from Bild indicated that doubts existed within the club even during pre-season, with concerns raised internally that the Argentine had shown too few ideas in possession-based play. Those concerns have since become public debate. Sport director Marcel Schäfer has backed the coach, stating that every member of the staff retains the club's trust, while acknowledging the results fall well short of expectations. He pointed to the need for time as the newly assembled squad finds its footing.

With injuries to Christoph Baumgartner and Rocco Reitz adding to the squad's difficulties, Leipzig host a struggling Hamburger SV on Saturday in what Bild has described as a potential final warning for Demichelis. A positive result would ease the tension. Another defeat would intensify calls for change before the international break.