RB Leipzig will welcome BSC Young Boys in their final UEFA Champions League Group G clash this Wednesday
Bundesliga giants RB Leipzig will welcome BSC Young Boys to the Red Bull Arena in what will be their first-ever competitive game against a Swiss side at home. Having won the reverse tie 3-1, Leipzig will be aiming to end their group-stage campaign on a high.
Marco Rose’s side are assured of a second-place finish in the group, behind defending champions Manchester City. With nothing more to play for and a top-six Bundesliga clash against TSG Hoffenheim coming up next weekend, it will not come as a surprise should Leipzig field a much-rotated side.
This will be welcome news for Young Boys, who will be keen their campaign in Europe’s top competition on a high. Crvena Zvezda do mathematically have a chance of going above Young Boys and securing the Europa League spot. But they will need to beat Manchester City while also hoping Leipzig come out on top in Germany.
While Zvezda’s task is quite difficult, Young Boys still have their destiny in their own hands and will aim for at least a draw that will guarantee them third spot in the group. With no major stakes on offer, the game is unlikely to be a classic but rather a tactical spar between two managers trying to outwit each other. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how these two sides will line up and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig might have already secured qualification to the knockout rounds but are coming off a disappointing loss on Matchday 5 that saw them squander a two-goal lead away to Manchester City. The defeat more or less ended any hopes the Germans had of finishing atop Group G.
Marco Rose and Co. are currently reeling in their hopes of mounting a Bundesliga title bid, meaning the top-six clash against Hoffenheim at the weekend will be decisive. With that in mind, Leipzig are unlikely to risk their best players on Wednesday.
The home side will be without the trio of Dani Olmo, Willi Orban and El Chadaille Bitshiabu. Timo Werner is still recovering from a groin injury and is also expected to sit the game out.
Peter Gulacsi has seen injuries limit his appearances this season but should get the nod over Janis Blaswich in goal. The 4-4-2 formation that can double up as a 4-2-2-2 appears to be the preferred setup for the night with a back four of Benjamin Henrichs, Mohamed Simakan, Castello Lukeba and Christopher Lenz.
Nicolas Seiwald and Kevin Kampl should hold the fort in the middle of the park, giving the duo of Christoph Baumgartner and Emil Forsberg the freedom to push forward. Yussuf Poulsen was the hero for Leipzig at the weekend against Borussia Dortmund and will start on Wednesday alongside young sensation Benjamin Sesko.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Gulacsi; Henrichs, Simakan, Lukeba, Lenz; Seiwald, Kampl, Baumgartner, Forsberg; Poulsen, Sesko
BSC Young Boys
Young Boys are primed to qualify for the UEFA Europa League but will have an eye on Crvena Zvezda should they pull off a miracle against Manchester City. With Leipzig likely to field a weakened side, Raphael Wicky has reasons to be optimistic about securing a result.
The Swiss side will go into the game as underdogs and will have to do without Kastriot Imeri who has been ruled out for the season. Cedric Itten and Malik Deme are also some way off from returning and will sit this trip to Germany out.
A 4-4-2 formation appears to be the way forward with the visitors, and Anthony Racioppi should return to the starting XI. He should be protected by the back four of Lewin Blum, Mohamed Ali Camara, Loris Benito, and Ulisses Garcia.
Joel Monteiro and Darian Males should provide the width, with Cheikh Niasse and Filip Ugrinic holding firm in centre midfield. Meschak Elia scored against RB Leipzig in the return fixture and should start up front alongside Jean-Pierre Nsame, who scored twice in the weekend’s win over St Gallen.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Racioppi; Blum, Camara, Benito, Garcia; Males, Niasse, Ugrinic, Monteiro; Elia, Nsame
Key Stats
- This is the first time that RB Leipzig will welcome a Swiss opposition to a home game in a competitive tournament.
- Young Boys have travelled to Germany five times so far, winning just once.
- RB Leipzig have failed to keep a clean sheet in seven of their last eight home wins in the UEFA Champions League.
- Young Boys are yet to win a single away game in the Champions League in eight attempts. Only seven other teams have gone on a longer run without a win away from home in the competition.
- RB Leipzig have won their Match Day Six fixture in their last three seasons, all under a different manager.
Player to Watch
Benjamin Sesko
The 20-year-old is one of the brightest young players on Leipzig’s roster and will be keen to make the most of his opportunity on the night. Sesko has scored six times in 19 appearances for the Germans this season and is also attracting attention from some of Europe’s heavy hitters.
With Lois Openda likely to be rested, the game against BSC Young Boys will give him another opportunity to Sesko to stake his claim as a first-XI regular.
Prediction
RB Leipzig 2-0 BSC Young Boys
While Young Boys have more to play for, RB Leipzig are the far superior side on paper and have enough difference-makers on their roster to swing the tie in their favour. It is unlikely to be thrilling, but the German giants should come away with a comfortable 2-0 win to end their group-stage campaign on a high.
