Bayer Leverkusen host RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Sunday evening, and they will be looking to build on their recent form with a win at home.
Leverkusen are coming into this game on the back of five wins and a draw from the last six league matches. They will be confident of grinding out all three points here at home. The last time these two sides met in the league, RB Leipzig picked up a 2-0 win at home, and Leverkusen will be looking to avenge that defeat here.
The home side are currently seventh in the league table, but they are just one point adrift of the Europa League position. Leverkusen will be looking to secure European football for the next season and they will be desperate to pick up all three points here.
Meanwhile, RB Leipzig are coming into this game on the back of two consecutive victories, and they will look to complete a league double of a Leverkusen.
They are fourth in the league table and they cannot afford to drop points if they want to secure Champions League qualification next season. Freiburg are breathing down their necks and the visitors will be under pressure to pick up a win here.
Let's keep the streak going! ⚫️🔴
🔜 #B04RBL I #Bayer04 I #Werkself pic.twitter.com/0hVnoa74fc
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) April 22, 2023
Team News and Tactics
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen will be without the services of Andrey Lunev, who is ruled out with a back injury.
Xabi Alonso is likely to field his side in a 3-4-2-1 formation with Lukas Hradecky in goal.
Edmond Tapsoba is set to start in the back three along with Jonathan Tan and Odilon Kossounou.
Jeremie Frimpong and Piero Hincapie will be deployed as the wing-backs and the two players will look to add creativity from the wide areas apart from the defensive responsibilities.
Robert Andrich will start in the middle of the park alongside Exequiel Palacios.
Moussa Diaby and Florian Wirtz will start as the attacking midfielders here and the two players are expected to drift out wide from time to time to add width and creativity from the wide areas.
Amine Adli will lead the line for Leverkusen here.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Kossounou; Frimpong, Andrich, Palacios, Hincapie; Diaby, Wirtz; Adli
RB Leipzig
The visitors are without long-term absentees Xavier Schlager and Peter Gulacsi. David Raum picked up his fifth yellow card in the last outing and he is suspended.
The visitors are likely to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Janis Blaswich in goal.
Benjamin Henrichs and Lukas Klosterman will start as the full-backs with Willi Orban and Josko Gvardiol lining up as the central defenders.
RB Leipzig will look to stay compact at the back and hit Leverkusen on the counter here.
Konrad Laimer will start alongside Amadou Haidara in the midfield pilot. The two players will look to protect the central defenders and break up the opposition attacks.
Emil Forsberg and Dani Olmo will be the wide players and the two midfielders will act as inverted playmakers. They will look to add creativity and link up with the attackers.
Dominik Szoboszlai will start as the central attacking midfielder and he will look to add goals and creativity in the final third. Timo Werner is set to lead the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Blaswich; Henrichs, Orban, Gvardiol, Klostermann; Laimer, Haidara; Forsberg, Szoboszlai, Olmo; Werner
Key Stats
- Bayer Leverkusen are undefeated in their last 7 matches (Bundesliga).
- RB Leipzig are undefeated in their last 6 away matches against Bayer Leverkusen in all competitions.
- Only Bayern Munich (78) and Borussia Dortmund (62) have scored more goals in 2022/23 than Leverkusen (51) and Leipzig (53).
- 12 goals has been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
- RB Leipzig are unbeaten in five of the last six meetings against Bayer Leverkusen.
Player to watch
Jeremie Frimpong
1 pic. 2 goals. 🔥#USGB04 #UEL pic.twitter.com/vII80oqOyM
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) April 20, 2023
The 22-year-old Dutchman has been in splendid form in his last few outings, and he is our man to watch out for on Sunday.
Leverkusen will need his flair and creativity from the wing-back positions in order to break down the RB Leipzig defence, and he could make a defining impact on the game.
Frimpong has nine goals and nine assists to his name across all competitions this season.
Prediction
Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 RB Leipzig
Buy Leverkusen have been in very impressive form and they will be full of confidence and momentum heading into this context.
They will be desperate to get into the European qualifying positions with a win here and their recent form suggests that RB Leipzig are in for a tough time here.
With a number of players in impressive form right now, Leverkusen have the quality to grind out all three points here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home side.