Oct 26, 2026 5:21 PM
Fresh off a summer move from Roma, the Moroccan midfielder demands total focus as the Red Bulls battle inconsistent road form during a high-stakes DFB-Pokal knockout clash.
RB Leipzig midfielder Neil El Aynaoui has warned his teammates against underestimating Rot-Weiss Essen ahead of Tuesday's DFB-Pokal encounter, insisting that the Red Bulls must remain fully focused despite their emphatic 4-0 victory over SV Elversberg.
The Moroccan international has quickly become one of Martín Demichelis' most trusted players since arriving from AS Roma in the summer, but he believes Leipzig still have plenty of room for improvement.
And with the club's away performances falling well short of their impressive home form, El Aynaoui knows Tuesday's cup tie represents another important test.
El Aynaoui Has Already Become Untouchable
Few summer arrivals have established themselves at Leipzig as quickly as El Aynaoui.
The 25-year-old has started all nine of his appearances for the club, completing the full 90 minutes on six occasions.
Even when Demichelis made eight changes against Elversberg on Saturday, El Aynaoui was one of just three players to retain his starting place from the defeat against Real Madrid.
His versatility has made him particularly valuable, with the Moroccan capable of operating as a traditional defensive midfielder or in a more advanced number-eight role.
He also registered his first assist for Leipzig during the 6-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
However, despite his impressive start, El Aynaoui believes he has not yet reached his best level.
"I still need a bit more time to adapt. Football is played very differently in Germany compared to France or Italy."
The midfielder also praised his teammates for helping him settle into Demichelis' system.
"When you're playing with high-quality players, everything becomes less taxing,"
Leipzig Must Solve Their Away Form Problem
Leipzig's 4-0 victory against Elversberg extended their remarkable Bundesliga home record to four wins, 18 goals scored, and none conceded.
However, their performances away from the Red Bull Arena have been considerably less convincing.
Heavy defeats against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid exposed weaknesses that Demichelis will need to address if Die Roten Bullen are to compete consistently across multiple competitions.
El Aynaoui acknowledged the difference between the team's home and away performances.
"When we play at home in front of our fans, we seem to give that little bit extra in every area. Now we need to find solutions so we can perform just as well away from home."
The Moroccan also identified pressing and collective organisation as areas requiring improvement.
"We need to keep getting better, particularly when it comes to pressing and playing together as a team."
His comments suggest Leipzig's players are aware that their convincing victory over Elversberg does not mean all their problems have disappeared.
El Aynaoui Refuses To Underestimate Essen
The club's next opportunity to demonstrate improvement away from home arrives on Tuesday against Rot-Weiss Essen in the DFB-Pokal second round.
Although Essen compete below the Bundesliga, El Aynaoui believes the visitors cannot afford to take the occasion lightly.
"To be honest, I don't know much about them. But I know there are no easy games in the DFB-Pokal,"
Drawing on his experience in France, he warned that matches against lower-division opponents can sometimes prove even more difficult than expected.
"In France, we sometimes played against teams from the third or fourth division, and those games can actually be even more difficult. We need full focus."
For the German side, the objective is clear: build on Saturday's convincing victory while demonstrating that Leipzig can deliver the same intensity away from home.
And for El Aynaoui, another strong performance would reinforce his growing importance within the squad.
After making himself almost indispensable in just nine appearances, the Moroccan now wants to help the Red Bulls turn their impressive home performances into consistent results wherever they play.
From here the stage only gets bigger.
Comments
Powered by RoundtableAn AI/DeFi-powered Enterprise Media Operating System. Learn more at Roundtable.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy