RB Leipzig's turbulent start to the season deepened on Sunday with a 2-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen, a result that leaves Martin Demichelis under growing scrutiny despite the club's public backing of their head coach. The loss followed a 1-4 Champions League defeat to Como 1907 and a 1-3 Bundesliga reverse at Werder Bremen, and while a 5-0 win over Hamburg briefly eased the tension, the Leverkusen result confirms Leipzig's inconsistency is a genuine concern rather than a short-term blip.

Demichelis took charge in the summer after Ole Werner's surprise dismissal, but questions about his methods have surfaced quickly. Reports from Sport Bild describe a communication breakdown in the dressing room, with the Argentine requiring simultaneous translation into French, English and German during team talks, leaving players to relay his instructions among themselves afterward. Sport director Marcel Schäfer has publicly defended the coach, insisting the squad needs time to develop, yet the expectation around a club that finished third last season is clear.

The situation is compounded by the serious injury to Assan Ouedraogo. The 20-year-old midfielder required shoulder surgery after the Hamburg win and will not return until the new year. Bundestrainer Jürgen Klopp said he would have selected Ouedraogo with certainty for the upcoming Nations League camp. Leipzig now sit ninth with six points from four matches, and face Eintracht Frankfurt at home on 10 October.