RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen were quite busy during the week, playing tough matches in the Champions League. Now, they will clash in a key match that has huge implications for both teams' futures in the Bundesliga.
RB Leipzig are definitely struggling in the current campaign, having had a tough period in which they recorded five losses in six games. They fell behind in the standings and are now fighting for a place among the top four in the league again.
The fact is, however, that RB Leipzig have hardly made any mistakes as hosts despite quite a few away losses this season. Only Bayern Munich have conceded fewer goals at home, but the problem remains that RB hardly score any goals. Compared to the other top teams they have scored almost twice as few goals at home.
Bayer Leverkusen on the other hand are absolutely phenomenal, just as they were in their championship campaign a year ago. Before the heartbreaking loss after a turnaround they suffered against Atletico Madrid, they had 12 consecutive wins in all competitions.
And against Atletico Madrid, the loss was a shocker because the hosts were red-carded in the 23rd minute and then losing 0-1, but still managed to turn it around. We are not used to seeing such mistakes from Xabi Alonso's team and their reaction will be interesting.
How the bookies view it: Always Leverkusen with the advantage
Bayer Leverkusen's dominance has been so great in recent months that bookmakers make them favourites against almost every team. In this case, RB Leipzig are available at 13/5, while the visitors have just 9/10. A draw is also possible and you can pick it at 14/5.
Recent head-to-head: As equal as an H2H record can be
The last few games between RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen have been absolutely spectacular. Each of the last three ended with the same score (3-2), with Leverkusen winning two of them. But that doesn't mean much because the rivalry of these two teams has been pretty even in recent years. Both teams have four wins in the last 10 clashes.
Players to watch: Frimpong's favourite opponents
Both squads are mostly healthy ahead of this clash. RB Leipzig will not be able to use Henrichs and Ouedraogo, while Schlager and Silva remain doubtful. Bayer Leverkusen will be without Belocian, Adli, and Terrier.
In terms of goal scorers, you can pretty much choose half of Leverkusen’s squad and you wouldn’t be wrong. But there is one man who loves playing against RB Leipzig. Jeremie Frimpong has five goal contributions against this team, more than against any other Bundesliga club he’s faced.
Probable line-ups
RB Leipzig: Gulacsi, Raum, Seiwald, Orban, Klostermann, Nusa, Vermeeren, Haidara, Simons, Openda, Sesko
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky, Hincapie, Tapsoba, Tah, Mukiele, Xhaka, Palacios, Frimpong, Wirtz, Grimaldo
Anything else catch the eye?
Judging by both teams' last games, we can expect a goal-packed clash. It is rare for the hosts to end their games with less than three goals, while Bayer Leverkusen are a team that rarely scores less than two.
Eight of RB's last 10 home games have ended with at least three goals, with seven of those featuring goals for both teams. The first match between them this season ended in RB's favour and remains Leverkusen's only loss in the Bundesliga. They definitely want revenge and we expect a high scoreline and non-stop action.
This German Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen will be played on Jan 25, 2025 and kick off at 14:30. Check below for our tipsters best RB Leipzig vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
