RB Leipzig are set to resume their Bundesliga campaign after the October international break with a trip to face newly promoted SV Darmstadt 98 on Saturday.
Sixth-place RB Leipzig will visit Merck-Stadion am Bollenfalltor to lock horns with Bundesliga newcomers SV Darmstadt 98 on Saturday.
Having spent the previous six seasons in Bundesliga 2, Darmstadt found adjusting to life in the top tier tricky at first, with their opening three matches resulting in defeats. The hosts picked up their first point of the season on Matchday 4. They raced to a 3-0 lead at home against Borussia Monchengladbach before the Foals made a remarkable comeback to draw 3-3.
They followed it up with a 3-1 defeat to high-flying Stuttgart in their next game before their first win of the season arrived at home against Werder Bremen (4-2). They made it back-to-back league wins, beating FC Augsburg (2-1) away from home. As a result, Darmstadt climbed to 11th position before the international break, three points clear of the drop zone.
Elsewhere, RB Leipzig struggled for consistency in their results as they were held to a somewhat disappointing goalless draw by struggling Bochum just before the international break, missing two penalties in the process.
This followed a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City in the Champions League in early October, while they also threw away a two-goal lead against perennial champions Bayern. With 14 points after seven rounds, Rose’s side are currently sixth in the Bundesliga table but could move level with third-placed Bayern Munich with three points here.
Team News & Tactics
SV Darmstadt
GUDE, #Lilien! ✌🏻 Ein paar Eindrücke vom heutigen Training liefern wir Euch heute natürlich noch 📸😎 #sv98 pic.twitter.com/E95Nn5FLWz
— SV Darmstadt 98 (@sv98) October 18, 2023
There are doubts over the availability of Clemens Riedel and Emir Karic, both of whom are sidelined with niggly muscle injuries. Former Norwich City centre-half Christoph Zimmermann has been out of action since September due to a back injury.
However, the German defender was back in the team during the international break in the 4-2 friendly win against SV Elversberg and could therefore start on Saturday ahead of Matej Maglica.
Attackers Fabio Torsiello and Braydon Manu, who have been unavailable for selection in recent weeks due to a thigh and ankle injury, respectively, also receive vital minutes in the same friendly against Elversberg and should be fit enough to be a bench option for coach Torsten Lieberknecht, who will line up his side in a 3-5-2 shape.
Skipper Fabian Holland and Tobias Kempe will hold the fort from the engine room. Holland, for one, is also a set-piece specialist and can also pose a goal threat when allowed to infiltrate the opponent’s box.
26-year-old playmaker Marvin Mehlem is the chief creator for the hosts and boasts particularly impressive technical skill, finesse, and offensive potency, having bagged three goals and one assist so far this season.
Up top, prolific second-tier striker Luca Pfeiffer is a menace in the box, standing at 6ft 4in tall. While he has yet to open his account, he has already hit the woodwork three times this campaign. Tim Skarke plays alongside Pfeiffer in the Lilies’ attack and has been involved in four goals this campaign (3 goals, 1 assist).
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Schuhen; Klarer, Gjasula, Zimmermann; Bader, Holland, Mehlem, Kempe, Nurnberger; Skarke, Pfeiffer
RB Leipzig
Defenders El Chadaille Bitshiabu and Willi Orban both remain sidelined through knee injuries, while former Chelsea striker Timo Werner is doubtful due to a back issue. On the flip side, Benjamin Henrichs and Dani Olmo have both returned to full fitness and are back in contention for Saturday’s trip to Darmstadt.
Marco Rose will surely have a few selection headaches ahead of the fixture, given the embarrassment of riches he has in the attacking department. They will start with the 4-4-2 formation that converts to a classic 4-2-2-2 in possession, with Janis Blaswich in goal.
𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐋 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ ❤️🤍 pic.twitter.com/pATAdQKvpq
— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) October 19, 2023
Henrichs and David Raum will be the full-backs. And Mohamed Simakan and Castello Lukeba will start in the centre of the defence. Fresh from putting pen to paper on a new deal until 2026 with the club, Kevin Kampl will once again take charge of the double pivot alongside Xaver Schlager, looking to protect the back four when full-backs fly forward.
Emil Forsberg and PSG loanee Xavi Simons, who has three goals and four assists for Leipzig so far this season, will have attacking roles in the middle of the park. Yussuf Poulsen should occupy the shadow striker role thanks to his physically dominating attributes, complementing Lois Openda in the number nine position.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Blaswich; Henrichs, Simakan, Lukeba, Raum; Simons, Schlager, Kampl, Forsberg; Poulsen, Openda
Key Stats
- RB Leipzig have won five of their last six matches against Darmstadt in all competitions.
- Darmstadt have won their last three matches across all competitions, netting ten goals and scoring five since the start of October.
- Leipzig have won their last four away matches in all competitions, scoring ten goals and keeping two clean sheets.
- Leipzig have lost only once in the league so far this term.
- Darmstadt have scored in all of their home games since their promotion.
Player to Watch
Lois Openda
Known for his ability to create opportunities for his teammates and his clinical finishing, Lois Openda had a successful season with RC Lens, narrowly missing out on the Ligue 1 title and earning Champions League football, before moving to the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig for a record fee over the summer.
And the Belgium attacker is making a real name for himself in Germany this term, as the young striker has started the new season by taking the Bundesliga by storm with four goals and two assists, while he also scored against Manchester City in the Champions League group stages. Up against a leaky Darmstadt backline, he will be rubbing his hands at the prospect of adding to his season tally.
Prediction
SV Darmstadt 1-3 RB Leipzig
Darmstadt games are anything but boring. 31 goals have been scored across the seven games that the newly-promoted outfit have been involved in, which is the highest tally of any team in the division. They simply do not look capable of keeping clean sheets at this level, having shipped 19 goals so far.
Although the hosts have shown plenty of fight and scored a reasonable amount of goals in their attack lately, Leipzig still retain plenty of quality in attacking areas,. So, we expect them to have a little too much for Darmstadt as a result.
