Julian Brandt formulated a crystal-clear analysis and did not blame the hefty 4-1 defeat in Leipzig on the absence of key players. Quite the opposite.

Julian Brandt (speaking to Sky): "We made too many mistakes. We started quite comfortably in the first half, played well and scored a goal early on. But as so often this season, we gave our opponents too many chances to score. We invited Leipzig in. It felt like they had 45 chances to score. That's too many in a game against a direct rival. 4-1 is tough. We're not aiming to finish fifth. We won't give up and will also try to qualify for the Champions League in other ways. Wednesday is Wednesday, today is today. And today was a bitter pill to swallow. Even though a few important players were missing. That's normal during the season, and has nothing to do with why we lost today."