Fresh off their DFB-Pokal elimination, Borussia Dortmund will host RB Leipzig at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday in a clash that could prove significant in the race for Champions League spots.
Borussia Dortmund host RB Leipzig in a Bundesliga clash on Saturday, with both teams looking to find a bit of momentum in their Bundesliga campaigns.
Dortmund missed out on the Bundesliga title by a whisker last season. Sitting fifth in the Bundesliga standings, 10 points off the pace, Dortmund are far from being title candidates this season. They have struggled for consistency so far and come into Saturday’s clash with just one win in their last five Bundesliga games.
BVB crashed out of the DFB Pokal in midweek as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat by VfB Stuttgart. It is not all doom and gloom, though. Prior to that, Edin Terzic’s men took points off Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen last weekend, playing out an entertaining 1-1 draw.
And they can break into the top four if they get another positive result against RB Leipzig. Despite being drawn in a tough group alongside Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Newcastle United, Borussia Dortmund are through to the knockout stage of the Champions League, so there are a lot of positives as well.
Perched just one point above Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig have also endured an erratic campaign so far. They come to Signal Iduna Park off the back of three wins and two defeats in their last five Bundesliga matches, including a 3-2 victory over newly-promoted Heidenheim last weekend.
One of RB Leipzig’s biggest issues this season has been a terrible record on the road. Marco Rose’s troops have lost four of their last five away competitive games and were beaten 2-1 by Wolfsburg in their last league travel. The last time these two sides met in March, Dortmund picked up a 2-1 win at home. So, RB Leipzig will be looking to avenge that defeat away at the Westfalenstadion.
Team News and Tactics
Borussia Dortmund
Julien Duranville (muscle) and Felix Nmecha (hip) are ruled out with respective injuries until the New Year, while Sebastien Haller is dealing with a knee problem. Defender Niklas Sule and attacker Giovanni Reyna missed the midweek cup game due to illness. But the duo could return to play here.
Marcel Sabitzer (knock), Marius Wolf (ankle), and Youssoufa Moukoko (thigh) were all forced off in midweek and are doubtful. Julian Ryerson (knee) also picked up a knock. Edin Terzic is likely to field his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Gregor Kobel in goal. Sule is likely to deputise for Wolf at right-back, while Ramy Bensebaini is an automatic pick on the opposite flank.
Nico Schlotterbeck will partner with Mats Hummels at the heart of the Dortmund defence. Emre Can will pair up with Salih Ozcan in the middle of the park as the double-pivot looks to provide defensive cover to the side as well as vital progression in transitional moments.
Marco Reus is likely to be deployed as the right-sided winger here, with Donyell Malen on the left, meaning Julian Brandt and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens will have to settle for a bench role.
Centre-forward Niclas Fullkrug has only scored four times so far. But his last six appearances in all competitions have produced three goals. The 30-year-old provides a real penalty-box poacher presence for Dortmund, who will look to find him from set-pieces as well as in open play.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Sule, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Can, Ozcan; Adeyemi, Reus, Malen; Fullkrug
RB Leipzig
Dani Olmo is likely to miss the rest of 2023 as he recuperates from a shoulder operation. Willi Orban’s knee problem is unlikely to heal before the end of the month either, and Marco Rose’s defensive ranks are further depleted by the absence of El Chadaille Bitshiabu, who has a similar problem and will sit out the trip to Dortmund.
Timo Werner, who has missed the last three games with a groin problem, will be assessed late before the game, while Benjamin Henrichs returned from illness to start at right-back against Heidenheim, and he should keep his place in the starting lineup this weekend.
The visitors are likely to shape up in a classic Red Bull 4-2-2-2 formation, with Janis Blaswich in goal. Henrichs and David Raum will be the full-backs here, and they will hope to add cover to the central defenders and provide width during the attack. Castello Lukeba will partner with Mohamed Simakan at the heart of the defence.
Amadou Haidara and Xaver Schlager are likely to start in the midfield pivot, and the two players will look to break up play and recycle possession, with Kevin Kampl and Xavi Simons acting as advanced midfielders. Yussuf Poulsen will support the club’s top scorer, Lois Openda, in attack, having found the back of the net in back-to-back games.
Probable Lineup (4-2-2-2): Blaswich; Henrichs, Simakan, Lukeba, Raum; Haidara, Schlager; Kampl, Simons; Poulsen, Openda
Key Stats
- RB Leipzig have won four out of their last five matches against Borussia Dortmund over the last two seasons.
- Borussia Dortmund have won only one of their last five matches in the Bundesliga.
- Dortmund have won five of their last six outings at Signal Iduna Park.
- RB Leipzig have lost four of their last five away games.
Player to watch
Lois Openda
The Belgium international has not taken any adaptation time whatsoever since moving to the Red Bull Arena from Lens in the summer. He has found the back of the net 10 times in the Bundesliga; only Harry Kane and Serhou Guirassy have had better returns. The young forward has also found the net three times in his last two matches and will certainly be the one to watch on Saturday.
Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 3-2 RB Leipzig
Neither team is likely to win the Bundesliga this season, but both are right in the mix for a top-four finish. Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig have produced some hugely engaging matches in the past. And Saturday’s showdown promises to be an entertaining encounter, with goals surely on the menu as both Dortmund and Leipzig seek to make a statement.
However, given Dortmund’s strong home record and Leipzig’s poor form on their recent travels, playing in front of the Yellow Wall could tip the scale in BVB’s favour. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 3-2 win for the home side.
