Rocco Reitz will face his former club Borussia Mönchengladbach on the Bundesliga opening day with his new team RB Leipzig. The 24-year-old midfielder moved to Leipzig in April for a fee of 20 million euros and will start Saturday's match (15:30 CET, Sky and Sat.1) on the bench against his old side.
According to a report by Bild, Gladbach's bosses explicitly wanted to sell the homegrown player. The money was intended for a much-needed squad overhaul. After a disappointing 14th place finish last season with just seven wins from 29 games and a goal difference of 35 scored and 49 conceded, the club needs fresh capital. Gladbach ended the 2025 season with 30 points, a full 46 points behind champions Bayern Munich.
When will Reitz get his chance?
Coach Martin Demichelis plans to initially use Reitz as an impact substitute. The Argentine remained confident nonetheless. "It often happens in football that you play against your former club," Demichelis said. "If he plays and comes on, he has to score a goal, it's as simple as that." Reitz played his first 26 competitive minutes for Leipzig in the 6-0 DFB-Pokal win against Trier and has recovered from a serious infection. He is now fully fit.
Demichelis highlighted the new signing's versatility. "We have to give him the ball as much as possible, he is very intelligent. He doesn't only have to play in one position." This flexibility could be important for Leipzig over the course of a season that continues for Gladbach on September 5th with a home match against SV Elversberg. Fans can follow the rest of the season's schedule on our fixtures page.
How will the Gladbach fans react?
Around 5000 Gladbach supporters are expected to travel to Leipzig for the away match. It remains to be seen how they will react to Reitz. Booing against the former fan favourite is a possibility, given his sale was a deliberate club decision. The transfer proceeds are meant to go directly into strengthening the squad, which fans can keep an eye on via our squad overview.
The final standings from last season, which saw Gladbach in the lower third, can be found on our standings page. Their recent form of Loss, Draw, Draw, Win, Loss underscores the need for change.
What is Christopher Nkunku's role?
Another returnee at RB Leipzig is Christopher Nkunku. The 28-year-old fan favourite returned on loan from AC Milan and is fit for the league start. However, according to Demichelis, he still lacks some rhythm due to missing match practice. Nkunku will wear the number 28 shirt this season, which was last worn in the 2022/23 season by Ami Caden Clark (23).
Nkunku's absolute preferred number was 18, but it is occupied by 19-year-old Suleman Sani. A jersey number switch was not possible due to club statutes. Only a departure of Sani would have freed the number 18. The DFL deadline for such a transfer passed on Friday at 15:00. This means Nkunku's number is set for the entire campaign.
The Bundesliga opener in Leipzig marks an important season start for both clubs. For Gladbach, it's about setting the course for a better future, financed by the funds from the Reitz sale. The performances of the entire team can be analyzed through our stats page.
