RB Leipzig will look to stretch the recent winning run when they take on Werder Bremen at the Weser Stadium on Tuesday.
The Bundesliga will halt for the winter break from the coming weekend, but not before Matchday 16 ends in a rare midweek round of fixtures. The action will kick off on Tuesday, with Werder Bremen welcoming RB Leipzig to the Weser Stadium.
Werder Bremen would have hoped for stability in 2023/24 after flirting with relegation last season. The River Islanders are 14th on the Bundesliga table, five points clear of the drop zone. But Ole Werner’s men have improved in the last two games, raking in four points from their last two games.
On the other hand, RB Leipzig began the 2023/24 campaign with a 3-0 win over Bayern Munich in the DFL Supercup. But they have blown hot and cold since then, bowing out of the DFB Pokal while finishing second in their UEFA Champions League group. However, Marco Rose’s men are currently on a four-match winning run, rising to third on the Bundesliga table, although they are seven points behind the table-topping Bayer Leverkusen.
The corresponding fixture last season saw RB Leipzig eking out a narrow 2-1 win over Werder Bremen, with Xaver Schlager scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Werder Bremen
Ole Werner does not have any new issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against RB Leipzig on Tuesday, the Werder Bremen manager will be bereft of the services of four first-team players.
Leon Opitz and Amon Pieper remain in the treatment room due to their respective ankle injuries. In addition, Nicolai Rapp is unavailable due to a foot injury. Meanwhile, Marco Friedl has resumed training after recovering from a groin issue. But Tuesday’s game might have come too soon for him.
Michael Zetterer should get the nod over Jiri Pavlenka between the sticks, with Werder Bremen lining up in a 3-1-4-2 formation in front of him against RB Leipzig. The central defensive unit should feature Milos Veljkovic, Niklas Stark, and Anthony Jung, who will play as a makeshift centre-back.
Jens Stage will be the sole defensive midfielder, and he will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Stage’s presence in front of the backline will give Romano Schmid and Leonardo Bittencourt the freedom to express themselves in the final third.
Mitchell Weiser and Olivier Deman should be the two wing-backs, with the duo providing width in the offensive third. Finally, Rafael Santos Borre and Marvin Ducksch will be the two strikers for Werder Bremen against RB Leipzig.
Probable Lineup (3-1-4-2): Zetterer; Veljkovic, Stark, Jung; Stage; Weiser, Schmid, Bittencourt, Deman; Borre, Ducksch
RB Leipzig
Like his counterpart in the Werder Bremen dugout, Marco Rose does not have any new injury concerns to deal with ahead of the trip to the Weser Stadium. The RB Leipzig manager will be without two first-team players on Tuesday.
Willi Orban (shoulder) and Dani Olmo (knee) remain long-term absentees for RB Leipzig. The duo will return to action next year. But Rose has a strong group to take to Bremen for the final Bundesliga game of 2023.
RB Leipzig will line up in a 4-2-2-2 formation against Werder Bremen, with Janis Blaswich taking his spot between the sticks. Mohamed Simakan and Castello Lukeba should form the central defensive partnership, with Benjamin Henrichs and David Raum being the two full-backs.
Xaver Schlager and Kevin Kampl have forged a solid midfield partnership, and the duo will look to hold the fort in the middle of the park. Their presence will allow Christoph Baumgartner and Xavi Simons to express themselves freely in the final third.
Meanwhile, Emil Forsberg will make his last appearance for RB Leipzig ahead of the upcoming move to New York Red Bulls. Finally, Lois Openda and Yussuf Poulsen should be the two strikers for the away side, with Timo Werner and Benjamin Sesko being backup options on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-2-2): Blaswich; Henrichs, Simakan, Castello, Raum; Schlager, Kampl; Baumgartner, Xavi; Openda, Poulsen
Key Stats
- Werder Bremen have lost their last seven competitive meetings with RB Leipzig and the most recent three, all by the same score (2-1).
- RB Leipzig’s ten wins in their first 15 Bundesliga matches this season is a figure they have only once bettered — in 2016/17 (11).
- Werder Bremen have won only one of their last six Bundesliga games (D3 L2). On the other hand, RB Leipzig are on a four-match winning run across all competitions.
- No other Bundesliga side has as many goalscorers this season as RB Leipzig (14).
- Marvin Ducksch has scored five goals in his last seven Bundesliga appearances.
Player to Watch
Lois Openda
RB Leipzig shelled a club-record fee to sign Lois Openda from RC Lens. Many raised their eyebrows when the Belgian international arrived at the Red Bull Arena. But he has lived up to the billing thus far, finding the back of the net 14 times.
The 23-year-old’s exploits have not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of high-profile clubs like Barcelona, Liverpool, and Manchester United. But he remains focused on the job at hand for RB Leipzig, whose upcoming Bundesliga fixture against Werder Bremen will allow him to end a memorable year strongly.
Prediction
Werder Bremen 1-3 RB Leipzig
Werder Bremen’s recent record against RB Leipzig will not fill the Weser Stadium faithful with much confidence heading into Tuesday’s Bundesliga fixture. So, while the River Islanders are unbeaten in their last two fixtures, they need to play out of their skins to get something from 2023’s final game.
On the other hand, the visitors are on a four-match winning run and should ride that momentum on Tuesday. But Werder Bremen will not go down without a fight, although they might only score a consolation goal. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Marco Rose and his charges.
