RB Leipzig are not Bayern Munich, nor could they ever be, but the gap between Germany's most successful team and Germany's most promising one is closing. A double header makes for a mouth-watering prospect.
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RB Leipzig have the dubious pleasure of facing Bayern Munich twice this week. First, they first host the Bavarians in the German Cup before traveling to Munich at the weekend in the Bundesliga. It's a moment for the team from the east to prove their challenge to the champion's throne is real.
Most German sides that take on Bayern always talk about needing a perfect performance to even stand a chance and the same noises are coming out of RB Leipzig's camp this week. "Bayern are in a league of their own," RB Leipzig's business manager Oliver Mintzlaff told the news agency SID. It feels like Bayern have always been ahead, but RB Leipzig have quickly closed the gap.
Brushed aside in their first meeting, RB Leipzig played a thriller against Bayern in the final game of last season - one that ended 5-4 to Bayern after a furious finale. Since then their paths haven't crossed, but their respective developments have been interesting to observe. Bayern have changed their head coach, talked about finding their identity again (an admission of having lost some of it) and had to deal with public player unrest.
The arrival of Jupp Heynckes certainly steadies the ship for Germany's record champions, but the current wind in Bayern's sails is fresh - Leipzig's has been guiding them for a while longer.
RB Leipzig have the same head coach, continue to preach the same identity (however unpopular) and have dealt with the future departure of one of their best players.
Bayern are aware of the threat RB Leipzig pose. Despite defensive depth, Mats Hummels even talked about "gritting his teeth" through a capsule injury so he could play.
As a player, Jupp Heynckes celebrated his greatest successes with Borussia Mönchengladbach. As a coach, he achieved a treble at Bayern Munich. In retirement, the 75-year-old has grown critical of football.
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Mr. Treble
Nothing else left to win! Bayern Munich's 2013 treble was the greatest achievement in the club's illustrious history, and perhaps in Jupp Heynckes' career too as they won the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the Champions League.
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Goodbye football (for now)!
One, two, three - and out! After winning the treble, the then 68-year-old Heynckes hung up his coaching boots. "I want to have some privacy for the time being," he said. "I want to enjoy my life and I don't intend to coach again."
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Goalscorer
In his heyday in the 70s, Heynckes (second from right) was one of Germany's most prolific strikers. His goals fired Borussia Mönchengladbach to four Bundesliga titles, the German Cup and the UEFA Cup. He also won the Bundesliga golden boot twice.
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World and European champion
Heynckes had international success, too. He won the European Championship in 1972 followed by the World Cup in 1974 in West Germany.
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Coaching success
Heynckes took on his first coaching role with Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1979 and took over at Bayern Munich for the first time in 1989, winning the Bundesliga in his first two seasons.
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Friendship
Heynckes was dismissed by Bayern in 1991, a decision which club president Uli Hoeness, then team manager, later called "the biggest mistake" of his career. Since then, the two men have been bound by a deep friendship and Heynckes has responded to Hoeness' call on more than one occasion.
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Fired as a champion
Heynckes won his first international title as a coach with Real Madrid in 1998 when he led the Spanish giants to Champions League glory, beating Juventus 1-0 in the final. Despite the triumph, "Donn Jupp" was still sacked.
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European champion again
After a short spell as caretaker coach in 2009 between Jürgen Klinsmann and Louis van Gaal, Heynckes took over Bayern Munich again on a permament basis in 2011. Two years later, he lifted the Champions League trophy for a second time after his team beat Borussia Dortmund in an all-German final at Wembley.
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Flying high
In the 2013 German Cup final, coach Jupp Heynckes led Bayern Munich to a 3-2 win over Stuttgart to seal an historic treble. It was clear then the players knew who to thank for masterminding their success.
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Over 1,000 Bundesliga matches
Heynckes has experienced more Bavarian beer showers than most - here being soaked by Anatoli Timoschtschuk. In Bayern's all-conquering treble season in 2012-13, he broke the magic 1,000 mark for Bundesliga appearances as both player and coach.
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FIFA World Coach of the Year
After winning the treble with Bayern and going into what turned out to be a temporary retirement, Heynckes was crowned FIFA World Coach of the Year 2013. And you'd be hard pressed to find someone who thought it wasn't well deserved.
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One last hurrah
Heynckes came back for his fourth stint at Bayern Munich when Carlo Ancelotti was sacked early in the 2017-18 season. Although Bayern lost in Europe in the semifinals and were surprisingly beaten by Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Cup final, Heynckes secured yet another Bundesliga title. Uli Hoeness wanted him to stay, but Heynckes retired properly this time, waving goodbye one last time.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Warmuth
Heynckes critical in retirement
Heynckes turned 75 in 2020 and in his retirement has become more outspoken. He admitted he has thought about joining a climate change protest, that he hopes for more solidarity in light of the coronavirus and that it's time football moved away from buying star players, saying the development in football had become "immoral."
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Former Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer rightly said that RB Leipzig "weren't there yet" in reference to the very top, but both the creation and execution of their plan has, from the outside looking in, been flawless.
Ahead of Wednesday's clash, Heynckes said RB Leipzig had been innovative with their approach. With more internationals and a younger average squad age than Bayern, RB Leipzig have good reason to be excited. "I've worked out chances for us," RB Leipzig's head coach Ralph Hasenhüttl said ahead of the game.
Timo Werner scored against Bayern on Matchday 33 last seasonImage: Picture alliance/dpa/H. Schmidt/dpa-Zentralbild
Bayern have won their last three in all competitions, RB Leipzig their last four in the Bundesliga.
Bayern haven't gone out in the second round of the German Cup since 2000 (to Magdeburg on penalties) - Ralph Hasenhüttl hasn't made it past the second round since 2013.
Both sides attacking forces are impressive in quality and depth - and both are leading the charge for German clubs in Europe. The cup provides the chance for RB Leipzig to land a knockout blow, while a win in the Bundesliga would be another jab in Bayern's side.
