RB Leipzig sporting director Ralf Rangnick has told Sport Bild that his club are under no pressure in their top-of-the-table clash with Bayern Munich on Wednesday.
Leipzig, who were promoted to the Bundesliga last season, are rivalling Bayern for the title with the side currently only second in the table to the German giants on goal difference.
"Psychologically it's the easiest match of the campaign," Rangnick said. "Nobody expects us to win. We are the big outsiders. There couldn't be a more thankful task for us."
At the weekend, Leipzig bounced back from their first defeat in Bundesliga, a 1-0 at Ingolstadt, by overcoming Hertha Berlin.
"To me that win against Hertha was far more important," Rangnick said. "This allows us the chance to go to Munich and say that's a real bonus match. We'd love to get those bonus points of course. But it's not the end of the world if it's not happening."
Rangnick believes that it will take a few years until the club can consistently fight for the Bundesliga crown.
"Only 15 matches have been played. I don't think Bayern see us as their rivals just yet," he said. "In nearly all departments we are light years away from Bayern."
Even if Leipzig lose out in the title race to Bayern this term, they are still well placed to qualify for the 2017-18 Champions League season. No Bundesliga team picking up 36 points or more after 15 matc days has failed to reach the Europe's premier competition.
"This would only accelerate our process," he said, but warned that the biggest mistake now would be to think about what could be in the summer. "It's only about what you do now: Are you focused on the next training session? Are you focused to lead a professional life? Are you focused on your tasks in the next match? That's the only way to go if you want to play the football we play."
Reflecting on an impressive season so far, Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita has told L'Equipe: "It's an exceptional performance. But we deserve what is happening to us, because we work a lot. In Leipzig, we don't cheat. We can do something great.
"We have unity at every level of the club. When I arrived in July from Salzburg, I immediately felt it. In the club, we spend the whole day together, from breakfast until the evening. Between the players, we even see each other in private. The advantage is that we are of the same generation and so we have the same passions such as music or PlayStation. That spirit of camaraderie is our strength."
Looking ahead to the clash against Bayern, Keita added: "We have absolutely nothing to lose. This match, it's the icing on the cake. We want to pull off a big upset, and I know we have the potential to do it.
ESPN FC's France correspondent Ian Holyman contributed to this report.