VfL Bochum and RB Leipzig will be desperate to return to winning ways when they clash at Vonovia Ruhrstadion on Saturday.
The 2023/24 Bundesliga season resumes this weekend with Matchday 24, with the latest round of fixtures kicking off with the game between SC Freiburg and Bayern Munich. Saturday’s action will get underway with five simultaneous matches, one of which will have VfL Bochum hosting RB Leipzig at Vonovia Ruhrstadion.
2023/24 is the third successive Bundesliga campaign for VfL Bochum, who came into this term on the back of a late rally to finish 14th on the table. But the Undescendables have been looking over their shoulder throughout the season, having dropped to 15th in the standings after losing 5-2 to Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend.
As for RB Leipzig, they started the 2023/24 season with a shock 3-0 win over Bayern Munich to win the DFL Supercup. But they have blown hot and cold since then, bowing out of the DFB Pokal in the second round while winning just over half of their outings in the Bundesliga. So, it is hardly surprising that they are outside the top-four places, although finishing fifth might be enough to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
The reverse fixture ended in a goalless stalemate, with RB Leipzig struggling to get past Bochum despite dominating the proceedings with 77% of possession. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
VfL Bochum
Thomas Letsch has new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against RB Leipzig on Saturday, the VfL Bochum manager will be bereft of the services of eight first-team players.
Manuel Riemann and Erhan Masovic will serve suspensions after picking up their fifth bookings of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season. The duo has joined Michael Esser (knee), Danilo Soares (muscle injury), Mohammed Tolba (knee), Patrick Osterhage (calf), Tim Oermann (groin), Christopher Antwi-Adjej (muscle injury).
Riemann’s absence means Niclas Thiede will deputise between the sticks, VfL Bochum lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him against RB Leipzig. The backline should consist of Cristian Gamboa, Keven Schlotterbeck, Ivan Ordets, and Bernardo.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Anthony Losilla, Kevin Stoger, and Matus Bero. The trio will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park while initiating swift transitions. Finally, Moritz Brochinski, Moritz Kwarteng, and Takuma Asano, with the trio combining in a fluid offensive trifecta.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Thiede; Gamboa, Schlotterbeck, Ordets, Bernardo; Losilla, Stoger, Bero; Asano, Broschinski, Kwarteng
RB Leipzig
Like his counterpart in the VfL Bochum dugout, Marco Rose has new roster issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Vonovia Ruhrstadion. The RB Leipzig manager will be without three first-team players on Saturday.
Xaver Schlager is the latest absentee, with the midfield mainstay serving a suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season last week. The Austrian international has joined Lukas Klostermann (hip) and Yussuf Poulsen (muscle) on the sidelines.
Janis Blaswich should get the nod over Peter Gulacsi between the sticks, with RB Leipzig lining up in a 4-2-2-2 formation in front of him against VfL Bochum. The backline will likely feature Willi Orban, Mohamed Simakan, Benjamin Henrichs, and David Raum.
As for the midfield unit, Amadou Haidara should deputise for Schlager, pairing up with Kevin Kampl in the double pivot in the middle of the park. Dani Olmo and Xavi Simons should take charge of providing the creative impetus in the final third, with Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko being the two strikers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-2-2): Blaswich; Henrichs, Simakan, Orban, Raum; Haidara, Kampl; Dani Olmo, Simons; Openda, Sesko
Key Stats
- RB Leipzig have won eight of their last ten meetings with VfL Bochum, with the Undescendables clinching only one victory (D1).
- But after clinching six successive victories against VfL Bochum in all competitions, RB Leipzig are winless in their most recent two such games, failing to find the back of the net in these matches.
- VfL Bochum held RB Leipzig to a 0-0 stalemate in the reverse fixture in October last year and can avoid defeat in both meetings with Die Roten Bullen in a single Bundesliga campaign for the first time in their history.
- RB Leipzig have won only one of their last seven matches away from home in the Bundesliga, with their only victory on the road during this period coming against Borussia Dortmund.
- VfL Bochum are unbeaten in their last seven matches at home.
Player to Watch
Benjamin Sesko
Lois Openda was a candidate for this section, but we have gone ahead with Benjamin Sesko due to the speculation surrounding his future. The Slovenian striker has had a decent season, scoring 11 goals thus far and finding the back of the net once every 118 minutes.
But Sesko’s future remains uncertain, with recent reports claiming he is eager to seal a move to the Premier League. So, he might have a point to prove in the business end of the 2023/24 season. How he fares on Saturday in future games will go a long way in determining his fortunes.
Prediction
VfL Bochum 1-1 RB Leipzig
Both teams are eager to return to winning ways, but RB Leipzig might find it difficult to overcome the VfL Bochum test. The Undescendables are on a seven-game unbeaten run and emerged victorious against Bayern Munich in their most recent match at Vonovia Ruhrstadion.
But a hurting RB Leipzig will take the game to the home side. However, there might not be much to separate Bochum and Leipzig by the time the referee blows his whistle at full-time. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw between the two sides this weekend.