Borussia Dortmund continue to harbour hopes of finishing in the UEFA Champions League places as they take on rivals RB Leipzig who are much closer to the top four.
RB Leipzig have had a difficult season, especially with their performances in the UEFA Champions League unlike Borussia Dortmund, who have reached the quarter-finals this week. Meanwhile, Die Roten Bullen were the first team from a pool of 36 sides to be eliminated from the competition. Now, they are in the thick of a struggle to make it back into the competition for next season.
Marco Rose is purely kept on the job to make sure his team finishes in the top four, as England might be the one heading out with five Champions League spots for next season. Leipzig’s inability to close out results and their overall inconsistencies could still prove a catalyst in their failure to finish in the top four.
Leipzig are winless in four Bundesliga matches heading into the weekend, and SC Freiburg held them to a draw last weekend and dealt another blow in their aim to finish in the top four. Before that, they had lost to FSV Mainz 05, as the four-game winless run consisted of three draws and a defeat.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund will have ideally wanted to be in Leipzig’s position in the standings heading into the weekend. The Champions League regulars are in real danger of finishing outside of the top four, as they have had similar struggles to their next opponents.
Last weekend, Augsburg got the better of BVB, as it was the third defeat in their last five Bundesliga games. There have been some impressive performances in between like the 6-0 thrashing of Union Berlin, while also getting past LOSC Lille in the Champions League, where they have set up a date with La Liga flyers Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Dortmund still have a big task on their hands to improve their league standing, where they currently languish in ninth place. BVB are still seven points behind the fourth-placed team, which might not seem a lot, but given the competition for places, it will still be a difficult gap to bridge. For now, they can close in on a top-four rival in Leipzig as Niko Kovac’s side will target a morale-boosting win.
Team News & Tactics
RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig continue to compete with some of their key stars in the squad, as Antonio Nusa is still absent, while Benjamin Henrichs is also out of contention ahead of the weekend. Xaver Schlager and Assan Ouedraogo are also out of the match with respective knee and thigh problems.
Rose could continue to pick Arthur Vermeeren and Kevin Kampl in his midfield setup. Xavi Simons could be used as an attacking midfielder as opposed to playing in the wings in a 4-4-2, as Marco Rose will tweak his ideas a bit for the game against Borussia Dortmund.
Ridle Baku and David Raum are expected to feature in the wing-back roles, while Castello Lukeba, Lutsharel Geertruida and Willi Orban marshall the back three. Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda are the preferred strike partnership for Rose, as he will hope the duo can hurt the Dortmund defence.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Gulacsi; Orban, Geertruida, Lukeba; Baku, Vermeeren, Kampl, Raum; Simons; Sesko, Openda
Borussia Dortmund
Daniel Svensson is a big miss for Borussia Dortmund ahead of the key fixture with RB Leipzig, and Niko Kovac may have to find a viable solution to replace him.
Emre Can has featured at the heart of the defence of late, and that might continue as he partners with his German colleague Nico Schlotterbeck. Julian Ryerson and Ramy Bensebaini will feature in the full-back roles on either flank. Pascal Gross might take a lone midfield role for Dortmund.
Kovac might focus on putting the balls more into the final third than keep it recycling in his midfield. Marcel Sabitzer and Maximilian Beier can occupy unorthodox roles in the area behind central striker Serhou Guirassy, while Karim Adeyemi and Jamie Gittens provide the width from their attacking positions on either flank.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Kobel; Ryerson, Can, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Gross; Adeyemi, Sabitzer, Beier, Gittens; Guirassy
Key Stats
- RB Leipzig have won their last four home matches against Borussia Dortmund in all competitions.
- RB Leipzig are winless in their last four Bundesliga games.
- Borussia Dortmund are only four points behind RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga standings.
- Borussia Dortmund have three defeats in their last five Bundesliga games under Niko Kovac.
Player to Watch
Benjamin Sesko
Before being suspended for a Bundesliga clash against VFL Bochum, Sesko was on a hot scoring streak for Leipzig, netting in five consecutive league games. However, since he missed that particular fixture, the Slovenian has been below par, with only two goals to show for his cause in seven games.
The youngster does have two assists in that period, but the main job of the Slovenian is to put the ball in the back of the net. Without his strikes, Leipzig are struggling to gain wins in the Bundesliga, and Marco Rose will want Sesko back to his scoring best, and will hope he can help the team finish in the top four.
Prediction
RB Leipzig 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund are not in the best vein of form, although Niko Kovac’s men showed the desire to get key results against LOSC Lille in their two-legged UEFA Champions League affair. That may have come at the cost of some fatigue, as BVB take on a well-rested Leipzig side away from home.
Marco Rose will want a statement victory, and given Leipzig have indeed won their last four home games against Borussia Dortmund, this might be the time to add a fifth. As of now, Leipzig are expected to take three points with a narrow scoreline, although Dortmund have the means to hurt the home side if they can produce a near-perfect display. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Rose and his charges.
