RB Leipzig will kick-start their Bundesliga campaign with a home game against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday afternoon.
RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach will both look to build on their dominant displays in the DFB-Pokal and secure all three points in their league opener.
The home team secured a third-place finish last season with 65 points in their 34 outings. They finished 24 points behind champions Bayern Munich and will be hoping to close that gap this time around.
Leipzig have started the new season with a smashing 6-0 win over Eintracht Trier. While it was quite an impressive start, Monchengladbach will present an entirely different challenge, and they will have to be at their best to win here.
Meanwhile, the visitors could only manage a 12th-place finish last season, with just 38 points in their 34 outings. The last few seasons have not gone their way, and they will hope to at least get into the top half of the table this time around.
They have started their campaign with a 5-0 win over Schott Mainz in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. While they would want to build on it and start their Bundesliga campaign with a win, taking down Leipzig in their backyard won’t be easy. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
RB Leipzig
The home team will be without the services of Christoph Baumgartner (thigh), Viggo Gebel (knee), Lukas Klostermann (groin), Assan Ouedraogo (shoulder), and Romulo (knee) because of injury. Meanwhile, Orjan Nyland is a major doubt for this one with a foot injury.
Martin Demichelis’s team are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Maarten Vandevoordt starting between the sticks. David Raum and Ridle Baku should feature as the full-backs, while Castello Lukeba is likely to line up alongside Willi Orban in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Nicolas Seiwald should take up the holding role, with Ezechiel Banzuzi and Brajan Gruda in his support. The trio will look to control possession and provide a solid platform for Leipzig’s attacking players.
In the final third, Antonio Nusa and Johan Bakayoko are expected to feature on the flanks, providing width and pace, while Tidiam Gomis will lead the line for RB Leipzig.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Vandevoordt; Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Gruda, Seiwald, Banzuzi; Bakayoko, Gomis, Nusa
Borussia Monchengladbach
The visitors will be without the services of Jens Castrop (shoulder) and Yukhym Konoplya (knee) because of injury, while Zento Uno’s availability is doubtful because of a muscular issue.
Eugen Polanski’s men will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Moritz Nicolas will take charge in between the sticks. Lukas Ullrich and Daiki Hashioka will feature as the full-backs, while Kevin Diks should pair up with Ko Itakura in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Philipp Sander and Kevin Stoger should form the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will look to protect the backline and ensure Leipzig midfielders do not enjoy too much of easy possession.
Robin Hack and Wael Mohya will feature on the flanks, providing width and creativity. Meanwhile, Hugo Bolin should take up the number ten role behind Tim Kleindienst, who will lead the line for Gladbach.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Nicolas; Hashioka, Diks, Itakura, Ullrich; Sander, Stöger; Mohya, Bolin, Hack; Kleindienst
Key Stats
- RB Leipzig have never lost a home game against Monchengladbach. They have six wins and four draws in ten outings.
- While RB Leipzig have bagged 10 goals in their last five outings, six of them came in their last outing.
- In six out of the last ten meetings between the two teams, only one team has found the back of the net.
- Borussia Monchengladbach have only won one out of their last seven games against RB Leipzig.
- Last season, Monchengladbach secured a draw at home but lost 1-0 away against Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
Player to Watch
Antonio Nusa
Nusa has only gone from strength to strength since joining Leipzig in the summer of 2024. He was involved in 35 matches last season and racked up just over 2,300 minutes. The 21-year-old ended up contributing towards nine goals.
While he certainly has massive potential and has been an integral part of the Leipzig setup, Nusa will hope he can enjoy a real breakthrough season this time around. Having bagged a goal in the DFB-Pokal outing, he will look to add to his tally in the first league game of the season.
Prediction
RB Leipzig 2-1 Borussia Monchengladbach
RB Leipzig will head into this fixture with plenty of confidence after their emphatic DFB-Pokal win, and their strong home record against Gladbach should give them another advantage.
While the visitors have also made a positive start, Leipzig’s quality in the final third could prove to be the difference. Monchengladbach are unlikely to make things easy and should have their moments, but the home side have enough attacking firepower to secure all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.