Ingolstadt remaining grounded – Leckie

Ingolstadt forward Mathew Leckie insists the newly-promoted Bundesliga outfit are not getting ahead of themselves after making an impressive start to the season.

Competing in Germany’s top flight for the first time in the team’s history but certainly not overawed, Ingolstadt have won two of their opening three matches.

Leckie was on target before the international break, with the Australia international’s stunning long-range effort helping Ingolstadt to a 1-0 win at Augsburg and seventh spot in the Bundesliga standings.

Paderborn enjoyed a similar start to life in the Bundesliga last season, having earned promotion from the second tier, before they were relegated.

The North Rhine-Westphalia club started the campaign with two wins and two draws but only won three of their final 24 games as they were send back to 2.Bundesliga, and Leckie is determined to avoid a similar fate, with preserving Ingolstadt’s top-flight status the number one priority.

“We are not going to get ahead of ourselves,” the 24-year-old told Omnisport. “Two wins from three matches is very good. No one would have expected it.

“If we came into the season knowing we would have six points after three games we would have taken it definitely. But we know it is a very long season.

“Paderborn last season started very well but in the end got relegated, so we just have to take it weekend by weekend.”

Ingolstadt could hardly have dreamed of a better start among Germany’s elite, following wins on the road against Augsburg and Mainz on the opening weekend.

The team’s only defeat came at home in the form of a 4-0 drubbing to league leaders Borussia Dortmund.

Coach Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men. are back at Audi-Sportpark on Saturday against another Bundesliga hopeful Wolfsburg.

Last season’s runners-up Wolfsburg – third in the table with two wins and one draw – boast a number of internationals after Julian Draxler and Bayern Munich star Dante arrived before the transfer window shut last month.

With that in mind, Leckie says the pressure is squarely on Wolfsburg to get a result against the league’s newcomers.

“If you look at Wolfsburg and the players they have and then look at us, there is two different levels,” Leckie added. “They are a class above and we are a team that has just come from the second division.

“There are a no expectations for us. These are not the matches we are expected to win. If we get a result it is a bonus because our objective this season is to stay in the league.

“But we are confident that if we play well we can score goals.”