​RB Leipzig will begin their 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign on Saturday afternoon, with Borussia Mönchengladbach the visitors to the Red Bull Arena and Martín Demichelis preparing for his first league match on the touchline.After seven weeks of preparation, Demichelis believes his team is ready for the challenge, although he knows the opening three points will matter more than anything else.I’m looking forward to the first matchday. It’s not often the case that an Argentine is set to head into a Bundesliga season as head coach. I will try to enjoy it, but the three points are the most important thing. The team has worked hard for seven long weeks and has improved week by week. We’re ready. – Martin Demichelis For RBL, the opening weekend is about more than simply starting a new season. It is the first competitive Bundesliga test of Demichelis’ ideas after a summer spent reshaping the squad and changing the team’s approach.And the coach is expecting Gladbach to provide an immediate tactical challenge.Demichelis highlighted an important detail in how Eugen Polanski’s side approaches defending, pointing out that Gladbach now uses a much more aggressive man-oriented system across the pitch. It is an approach increasingly seen at the highest level, with Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain among the teams employing similar principles.That could make Leipzig’s build-up more complicated.Gladbach have made a major change compared to last season: they now play one-on-one against the ball across the entire pitch. Bayern München defend that way too, as do PSG, which is why many head coaches are now adopting this approach. That wasn’t the case before.We will need to be prepared for that, as it means that our opposition will close us down immediately and will press us hard. We need to make good decisions and find space. We’ve shown the players that, and we’ve worked on it in training. – Martin Demichelis on Gladbach’s aggressive styleThe pressure will not only be on Leipzig’s defenders. Demichelis wants the entire team to contribute to a clean build-up, with the first phase of possession setting the tone for everything that follows.We want to play good football, and in order to do that, we need to be able to work well together from the back to the front. We’ve continued to work on our defensive set-up over the last few days. There are still small details that we need to iron out. But I’ve noticed that the entire team is hungry and eager, and that’s the most important thing. I have full confidence that every one of my players will be able to perform. – Martin Demichelis on his tactical ideasThere is another storyline likely to dominate the afternoon: Christopher Nkunku’s return.After officially rejoining Leipzig on loan from AC Milan, the former Bundesliga Player of the Season is expected to be part of the squad. Demichelis confirmed that Nkunku trained normally during the week, but cautioned that he is not yet at full match rhythm.Christo was determ