RB Leipzig will host Werder Bremen at the Red Bull Arena on Sunday, looking to get back to winning ways after the defeat to Bayern Munich.
RB Leipzig succumbed to a heavy defeat against Bayern Munich in their last game, and they will look to bounce back desperately vs Werder Bremen on Sunday. Die Roten Bullen have been quite inconsistent this season, and they have lost three of the last six matches in all competitions.
Leipzig are currently fourth in the Bundesliga table, and they will be desperate to secure Champions League qualification for the next season. The hosts need to win these games to finish up in the table. The fans will certainly expect a strong performance from the players here, and it will be interesting to see whether they can step up and deliver.
On the other hand, Werder Bremen are coming into this game on the back of four consecutive victories. The away side will be full of confidence, and they will certainly fancy their chances against an inconsistent Leipzig side. It remains to be seen whether they can pull off an upset away from home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
RB Leipzig
The home side will be without Benjamin Henrichs, who is ruled out for the remainder of the season with ACL damage. Assan Ouedraogo misses out with a thigh injury, Xavi Simons has an ankle problem, and Eljif Elmas misses out with a knock.
RB Leipzig are likely to shape up in a 4-4-2 formation vs Werder Bremen, with Peter Gulacsi in goal. Lukas Klostermann and David Raum will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Willi Orban will start alongside El Chadaille Bitshiabu at the heart of the defence.
Antonio Nusa and Christoph Baumgartner will start in the wide areas. They will look to create goal-scoring opportunities and add width to the side from the flanks. In the midfield, Xaver Schlager will start alongside Nicolas Seiwald. They will look to add creativity and defensive cover to the side. Finally, Benjamin Sesko will lead the line for Leipzig here alongside Lois Openda.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Gulacsi; Klostermann, Orban, Bitshiabu, Raum; Nusa, Schlager, Seiwald, Baumgartner; Sesko, Openda
Werder Bremen
The visitors will be without Keke Topp due to an ankle injury, and Justin Njinnmah will miss out with an ankle problem as well. The visitors will shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Michael Zetterer in goal. In the back three, Anthony Jung will start alongside Niklas Stark and Marco Freidl.
Mitchell Weiser and Derrick Kohn will start as the wing-backs, and they will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Leipzig on the break. As for the midfield unit, Senne Lynen will start alongside Jens Stage, and they will look to add control and composure to the side.
Marco Grull and Romano Schmid will start in the attacking midfield roles, and they will look to link the midfield with the attack. Finally, Marvin Ducksch will lead the line for Werder Bremen vs RB Leipzig.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Zetterer; Jung, Stark, Friedl; Weiser, Lynen, Stage, Kohn; Grull, Schmid; Ducksch
Key Stats
- RB Leipzig have drawn their last three matches vs Werder Bremen in all competitions.
- Werder Bremen have won their last three matches in the Bundesliga.
- 13 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
- RB Leipzig have picked up just two wins from the last six matches in the league.
Player to Watch
Benjamin Sesko
The Slovenian striker is our key player to watch out for, and he could make a big difference in the final third for his team. Leipzig will need him to step up and deliver if they want to grind out a victory here. He has done quite well this season, and Sesko will look to punish the away defence with his clinical finishing and link-up play.
Prediction
RB Leipzig 2-1 Werder Bremen
The home side has been quite inconsistent, and they crashed through a heavy defeat in the last outing. However, Marco Rose has a quality team, and they should be able to bounce back here. This is likely to be a close contest.
Werder Bremen have been quite impressive in the last few outings, and they will look to make life difficult for the opposition here. However, RB Leipzig have enough quality to edge this one. A narrow home win is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Marco Rose and his charges.
