Klopp Smiles Broadly as Leipzig Defeats Werder Bremen 4-2 in Bundesliga

Jurgen Klopp (5thL), new global head of football at Red Bull, arrives next to Saxony's State Premier Michael Kretschmer (R) prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)
Jurgen Klopp (5thL), new global head of football at Red Bull, arrives next to Saxony's State Premier Michael Kretschmer (R) prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)
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Klopp Smiles Broadly as Leipzig Defeats Werder Bremen 4-2 in Bundesliga

Jurgen Klopp (5thL), new global head of football at Red Bull, arrives next to Saxony's State Premier Michael Kretschmer (R) prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)
Jurgen Klopp (5thL), new global head of football at Red Bull, arrives next to Saxony's State Premier Michael Kretschmer (R) prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)

Jürgen Klopp watched with a broad smile as Leipzig defeated Werder Bremen 4-2 to reclaim fourth place in the Bundesliga on Sunday, The Associated Press reported.
Klopp, the former Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz coach, took over his new duties as Red Bull’s head of global soccer on Jan. 1 and he took the first opportunity to see the energy drinks manufacturer’s German representative in competitive action.
Klopp can have had few complaints as he watched the 21-year-old Xavi Simons open the scoring and then cancel Mitchell Weiser’s response, before Benjamin Šeško, also 21, made it 3-1 with a brilliant strike from distance after the break.
Both Xavi and Šeško fit the profile of highly talented young players that Klopp will be expected to develop and attract to the growing Red Bull stable of clubs.
Leipzig substitute Christoph Baumgartner scored in the final minute before Bremen's Oliver Burke scored in stoppage time.
Klopp was in Paris on Saturday to see second-tier Paris FC beat Amiens 1-0. Among his tasks there is turning the club into one of France’s best under the ownership of the country’s richest family, the Arnaults of luxury empire LVMH. The family’s takeover of the second-tier club includes bringing Red Bull on board as a minority stakeholder.
Leipzig has struggled so far this season, losing all its games in the Champions League and dropping points in seven of its 16 games in the Bundesliga.
Stuttgart, last season’s runner-up, was playing at Augsburg later to conclude the round.



Real Madrid Has 3-Game Home Run to Rebound from Barcelona Loss in Super Cup Final

 Soccer Football - Spanish Super Cup - Final - FC Barcelona v Real Madrid - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - January 12, 2025 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham look dejected during the trophy presentation after losing the Spanish Super Cup final. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - Spanish Super Cup - Final - FC Barcelona v Real Madrid - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - January 12, 2025 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham look dejected during the trophy presentation after losing the Spanish Super Cup final. (Reuters)
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Real Madrid Has 3-Game Home Run to Rebound from Barcelona Loss in Super Cup Final

 Soccer Football - Spanish Super Cup - Final - FC Barcelona v Real Madrid - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - January 12, 2025 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham look dejected during the trophy presentation after losing the Spanish Super Cup final. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - Spanish Super Cup - Final - FC Barcelona v Real Madrid - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - January 12, 2025 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham look dejected during the trophy presentation after losing the Spanish Super Cup final. (Reuters)

Real Madrid hopes some home comfort will help the team get over yet another embarrassing loss to Barcelona.

After losing 5-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, Madrid has a run of three home games over seven days.

The home run begins on Thursday against Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey last 16. Las Palmas visits on Sunday in La Liga then Salzburg on Jan. 22 in the Champions League.

“We are sad and disappointed,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “We have no option but to look forward and try to regain the good momentum that we had until this match against Barcelona.”

Madrid won five in a row across all competitions before the loss to Barcelona. The Catalan side also routed Madrid 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in October in La Liga.

“We have to stick together, be a team and react the same as we did after losing to them in La Liga,” Madrid midfielder Luka Modric said. “We showed a reaction and I hope we will react to this tough defeat, because we didn’t think we would lose like this. It’s good that the Copa game is coming up soon and we won’t have much time for regrets.

“It’s not nice to see your greatest rival score nine goals in two matches. But I’m sure that we are going to recover. We need to remain united and keep working hard. We are still going to give our fans a lot of reasons to celebrate. It’s a long season.”

Madrid is in second place at the halfway point in the Spanish league, one point behind city rival Atletico Madrid and five points ahead of third-placed Barcelona. In the Champions League, Madrid is 20th in the 36-team league phase of the competition.

Copa del Rey matches Barcelona follows the Super Cup by hosting Real Betis on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey last 16. Hansi Flick's squad has won three in a row this year after losing its last two in 2024.

Also on Wednesday, red-hot Atletico visits second-division club Elche looking to extend its 14-game winning streak in all competitions, already a club record.

Defending Copa champion Athletic Bilbao hosts Osasuna on Thursday, while Rao Vallecano visits Real Sociedad.