RB Leipzig find themselves at a crossroads. A convincing 4-0 home win over Elversberg on matchday seven lifted them to fifth in the Bundesliga table with 12 points from seven games, offering some relief after a brutal stretch of results. That relief, though, only goes so far. The weeks before the Elversberg win exposed deep problems, particularly away from home. A 6-1 thrashing at Bayern Munich was followed by a 4-1 defeat at Real Madrid in the Champions League, leaving Leipzig with zero points from their away fixtures in European competition and serious questions about their ability to perform against top opposition.

Those results have placed Martin Demichelis under significant scrutiny. Lothar Matthäus, speaking after the Bayern defeat, warned that Leipzig's environment offers little patience, and that the club would move quickly on the manager if away performances did not improve. Questions about Demichelis's communication with his squad have added another layer of concern around his position.

Christopher Nkunku has been a bright spot. The forward, back at Leipzig on loan after disappointing spells at Chelsea and AC Milan, scored a hat-trick against Eintracht Frankfurt and has shown the kind of form that could make Leipzig's purchase option of around 28 million euros look attractive. His goals at home have been crucial to Leipzig's points total.

Next up is a DFB-Pokal trip to RW Essen, a fixture the club will be expected to win, but one that arrives with the pressure of a squad still searching for consistency.