RB Leipzig's First Home Defeat Sparks Sharp Criticism of Referee Benjamin Brand

RB Leipzig suffered their first home defeat of the Bundesliga season, losing 1:3 to Bayer Leverkusen on December 20, 2025. The loss stirred significant controversy over refereeing decisions by Benjamin Brand, who was widely criticized by Leipzig players and staff. Captain David Raum highlighted a clear penalty opportunity missed when Leverkusen's Robert Andrich handled the ball, which led to the decisive third goal for Leverkusen. Raum described Brand as "unworthy" of officiating the match and said he appeared overwhelmed and dismissive during the game.

Leipzig's coach Ole Werner also condemned Brand's performance, citing two pivotal errors: the failure to issue a red card for a dangerous challenge and the overlooked handball incident. Werner believed these mistakes changed the game's outcome, stressing that Leipzig might have secured a better result if they had been a man up in the last 20 minutes. Defenders such as Christoph Baumgartner expressed disappointment with the current VAR standards, further amplifying Leipzig's frustration.

On the field, Leipzig had initially taken the lead through Xaver Schlager before Leverkusen's Martin Terrier equalized with a header. Patrik Schick then scored shortly before half-time to put Leverkusen ahead, eventually becoming their all-time foreign top scorer. The match ended with a late goal from Montrell Culbreath sealing Leipzig's defeat amid player absences due to injuries and international duty. The presence of RB's global soccer head Jürgen Klopp and club boss Oliver Mintzlaff at the game added to the gravity of the situation, with Leipzig now seeking accountability in refereeing decisions moving forward.