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May 29 (Reuters) – RB Leipzig will continue in their pursuit of their best ever Bundesliga points tally when they travel to Cologne on Monday, manager Julian Nagelsmann said on Friday.
Leipzig, who have 55 points from 28 games, are 12 points away from their best ever Bundesliga points tally of 67 which they achieved in their debut top-flight season in 2016-17.
After a 5-0 win over Mainz over the weekend, third-placed Leipzig were held to a 2-2 draw by Hertha Berlin on Wednesday and Nagelsmann said the short turnaround had left his players lacking intensity.
“We can achieve the best season in club history. To do this, we need to continue to score three points. We still have a chance to keep our good record intact,” Nagelsmann told reporters.
“We were a bit tired and didn’t have a top day… It’s always a bit tiring to run after a backlog especially if you don’t have fans behind you and the game against Mainz is still in your bones.
“We are happy to have enough time to prepare for the upcoming game in Cologne.”
Leipzig forward Yussuf Poulsen, who has been involved in 11 league goals this season, remains sidelined after he sustained an ankle injury during their win against Mainz.
Left-back Marcel Halstenberg is suspended after picking up two yellow cards in the draw against Hertha while midfielder Kevin Kampl is also a doubt as he continues to recover from a trapped nerve.
Leipzig are nine points behind league leaders Bayern Munich with six games left to play while Cologne are 11th. (Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru)