When Jesse Marsch accepted the job as Leeds United manager at the end of February, he became the third current Premier League manager to have managed RB Leipzig. The American previously worked as assistant to Ralf Rangnick - now Manchester United's interim manager - and then managed the club in his own right for the first half of this season, before leaving by mutual consent in December.
The other man to have managed the Red Bulls is Marsch's opponent in the dugout this week, Southampton's Ralph Hassenhuttl. The Austrian managed the German side for two seasons and left when it became clear he would not gain a contract extension form Red Bull's flagship club, despite taking them to Champions League qualification and a second place Bundesliga finish in his first season.
After Hassenhuttl left the club, Rangnick returned to manage for a year as Red Bull waited to appoint Julian Nagelsmann the year after. It was during that time that Marsch made his first steps into European football, moving on from New York Red Bulls to join Rangnick as his assistant. After that season, Marsch continued in the Red Bull stable as he moved to take the managerial post at sister-club, RB Salzburg.
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Leeds and Southampton's match on Saturday will be an interesting tactical affair. Having spent a significant portion of their careers working under Rangnick and in the Red Bull stable, both managers have a shared philosophy.
Hassenhuttl has brought the gegenpressing style to the Saints ever since he came to the South Coast in 2018. Alongside that, he has primarily played the 4-2-2-2 formation. Both the gegenpressing style and the 4-2-2-2 formation are things which Marsch has immediately tried to implement during his short period at Elland Road thus far.
Looking to Saturday's game, one could presume that Southampton's greater familiarity with the playing philosophies will win the day. Leeds have had two positive results in their last two games, which have provided them a giant step towards their goal of Premier League safety. However, Marsch himself has admitted that the tactical aspects of how he wants the team to play will take time to be implemented properly.
Fortunately for Leeds, the Saints come into the game on the opposite kind of run of form to the Whites, as they recorded losses to Aston Villa and Watford in their last two games. Marsch should also be able to call upon the most dangerous individual on the field, in the form of Raphinha.
It will be interesting to see whether either manager breaks from their usual match-plan, knowing so well the weaknesses of the tactical system utilised by their opponent. Perhaps the most likely thing is that they will send their teams out to play the way they know best and feel most comfortable coaching. If that is the case, it could be that the two systems cancel one another out. The winner may well come from an individual moment of brilliance from one player, or even one mistake. Either way, both managers will be keen to kick off their new managerial rivalry with a win.
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