RB Leipzig is a German association football club based in Leipzig, Saxony. The club was founded in 2009 by initiative of the company Red Bull GmbH—which purchased the playing rights of a fifth-tier side, SSV Markranstädt, with the intent of advancing the new club to the top-flight Bundesliga within eight years. Men's professional football is run by the spin-off organization RasenballSport Leipzig GmbH. RB Leipzig plays its home matches at the Red Bull Arena.
Having finished as runners-up in their debut season in the German top flight, RB Leipzig gained entry to continental football for the first time, specifically the 2017–18 Champions League for which Red Bull Salzburg had also qualified as Austrian champions; this raised the issue of a possible conflict of interest between the clubs due to the level of influence exerted by Red Bull over both teams and the close sporting relationship between them in various aspects. After examining the operational structures during June 2017, UEFA declared themselves satisfied under their regulations that the two clubs (particularly Salzburg) were suitably independent from the Red Bull corporation, and sufficiently distinct from one another, for both be admitted to their competitions.
In the first season following that ruling, both reached the quarter-finals of the 2017–18 Europa League but did not play each other, with RB Leipzig eliminated by Olympique de Marseille who then also knocked out Salzburg in the semi-finals. However, in the next edition of the same competition, RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg were drawn together in Group B to meet competitively for the first time.
RB Leipzig is one of the first clubs in history to qualify for the Champions League so soon (eight years) after its creation. Salzburg were the victors in both fixtures between the clubs (3–2 in Germany, 1–0 in Austria) and also won all their other matches to top the group, while Leipzig failed to progress after dropping further points against Celtic and Rosenborg.
Matches Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Aggregate 2017–18 UEFA Champions League Group G Monaco 1–1 4–1 3rd Beşiktaş 1–2 0–2 Porto 3–2 1–3 UEFA Europa League R32 Napoli 0–2 3–1 3–3 (a) R16 Zenit Saint Petersburg 2–1 1–1 3–2 QF Marseille 1–0 2–5 3–5 2018–19 UEFA Europa League 2QR BK Häcken 4–0 1–1 5–1 3QR Universitatea Craiova 3–1 1–1 4–2 PO Zorya Luhansk 3–2 0–0 3–2Group B Celtic 2–0 1–2 3rd Rosenborg 1–1 3–1 Red Bull Salzburg 2–3 0–1 2019–20 UEFA Champions League Group G Benfica 2–2 2–1 1st Lyon 0–2 2–2 Zenit Saint Petersburg 2–1 2–0 R16 Tottenham Hotspur 3–0 1–0 4–0 QF Atlético Madrid 2–1 SF Paris Saint-Germain 0–3 2020–21 UEFA Champions League Group H İstanbul Başakşehir 2–0 4–3 2nd Paris Saint-Germain 2–1 0–1 Manchester United 3–2 0–5 R16 Liverpool 0–2 0–2 0–4 2021–22 UEFA Champions League Group A Manchester City 2–1 3–6 3rd Club Brugge 1–2 5–0 Paris Saint-Germain 2–2 2–3 UEFA Europa League KRPO Real Sociedad 2–2 3–1 5–3 R16 Spartak Moscow Bye QF Atalanta 1–1 2–0 3–1 SF Rangers 1–0 1–3 2–3 2022–23 UEFA Champions League Group F Shakhtar Donetsk 1–4 4–0 2nd Real Madrid 3–2 0–2 Celtic 3–1 2–0 R16 Manchester City 1–1 0–7 1–8 2023–24 UEFA Champions League Group G Young Boys 2–1 3–1 2nd Manchester City 1–3 2–3 Red Star Belgrade 3–1 2–1 R16 Real Madrid 0–1 1–1 1–2 2024–25 UEFA Champions League League phase Atlético Madrid 1–2 32nd Juventus 2–3 Liverpool 0–1 Celtic 1–3 Inter Milan 0–1 Aston Villa 2–3 Sporting CP 2–1 Sturm Graz 0–1 2026–27 UEFA Champions League League phase Como 1–4 PSV Eindhoven Real Madrid Manchester City Lens Manchester United Shakhtar Donetsk Feyenoord Source: UEFA.com, Last updated on 29 January 2025
Notes 2QR: Second qualifying round 3QR: Third qualifying round PO : Play-off round KRPO : Knockout round play-offs R32: Round of 32 R16: Round of 16 QF : Quarter-finals SF : Semi-finals
Overall record
By competition
Competition Win%
By club
Opponent Pld W D L GF GA GD W % Aston Villa Atalanta Atlético Madrid Benfica Beşiktaş Celtic Club Brugge Como BK Häcken Inter Milan İstanbul Başakşehir Juventus Liverpool Lyon Manchester City Manchester United Marseille Monaco Napoli Paris Saint-Germain Porto Rangers Real Madrid Real Sociedad Red Bull Salzburg Red Star Belgrade Rosenborg Shakhtar Donetsk Sporting CP Sturm Graz Tottenham Hotspur Universitatea Craiova Young Boys Zenit Saint Petersburg Zorya Luhansk
By country
Opponent Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Difference Win percentage
Notes
References