RB Leipzig midfielder Kevin Kampl has issued a defiant warning to Manchester City ahead of next week’s Champions League Group A opener at the Etihad Stadium.
City, who reached the final of the Champions League last term, will get their 2021/22 European adventure under way when they welcome Leipzig to the Etihad on Wednesday evening.
Also facing Paris Saint-Germain in the battle to gain one of the top two spots in the group to advance to the knockout stages, City will know that they will have to beat the likes of Leipzig to keep pace with the French giants.
Leipzig midfielder Kampl, meanwhile, is not settling for third or fourth spot, insisting the Bundesliga club will be taking on Pep Guardiola’s charges with the aim of advancing to the knockout stages.
“City also have one of the best teams in world football,” Kampl told Leipzig’s club website. “They have a lot of quality, and on paper you’d say that PSG and City should progress.
“But we can surprise people and we have it in us to upset any team. We will give everything to get out of the group because otherwise there is no point playing.”
Leipzig, who were in the same group as Manchester United in the Champions League last season, have the ability to upset the apple cart, having advanced deep into the competition back in the 2019/20 campaign.
Back then, Leipzig, who were under the management of now-Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, made it all the way to the semi-finals, beating both Tottenham and Atletico Madrid en route to the last four.
Last term, Leipzig made it to the last-16 stage, but were beaten 4-0 by Liverpool over two legs. They did, however, finish runners-up to PSG in Group H, knocking United out of the competition in the process.
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