With Bayern Munich sitting nine points clear from their nearest chaser, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen have no other option but to fight for the title of best of the rest, and the winner on Saturday is likely to end the year in second place.
RB Leipzig will hope to end the year on a high after last week’s disasterclass away at Union Berlin, which left them in second place entirely because of their superior goal difference. But their third away defeat of the season shouldn’t be a reason for worries, as the Red Bulls have been absolutely flawless at home this season.
RB Leipzig won all seven matches at the Red Bull Arena, including their DFB Pokal match against Magdeburg, and by beating Leverkusen, they would equal their club record for consecutive home wins in the Bundesliga.
Kasper Hjulmand’s Bayer Leverkusen have been troubled by inconsistency in recent weeks, with just two wins in their last five fixtures. Last week’s 2-0 win over Koln was effortless, but they lost their previous two Bundesliga games to Augsburg and Borussia Dortmund.
How the bookies view it: The Red Bulls to see red
As the only remaining team with a perfect home record and especially after the recent 6-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, bookmakers backed RB Leipzig to claim the three points in Saturday’s highlight match.
You can currently back the Red Bulls at 11/10, the draw at 14/5, or Bayer Leverkusen at 11/5.
Recent head-to-head: Wildest Bundesliga rivalry?
Each of the matches between RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen in recent years has been an absolute goal fest. Their rivalry is fierce, with at least two goals scored by each team in each of the last four matches.
As for who has won more times, their statistics are completely identical – both teams have four wins in their last 10 meetings.
Players to watch: Baumgartner shines against Leverkusen
It is certainly strange that neither RB Leipzig nor Bayer Leverkusen have a single striker in good form, but it is a fact. Their most prolific players are midfielders and defenders.
Once again, we choose to put our trust in 26-year-old Christoph Baumgartner, who has six goals and six assists in the Bundesliga this season.
Two weeks ago, he was involved in three of the goals against Eintracht, and in the past, he has three goals and two assists in his personal H2Hs against Bayer Leverkusen.
Probable line-ups
RB Leipzig: Gulacsi, Nedeljkovic, Orban, Lukeba, Raum, Baumgartner, Seiwald, Schlager, Bakayoko, Harder, Gomis
Bayer Leverkusen: Flekken, Belocian, Andrich, Bade, Arthur, Garcia, Fernandez, Grimaldo, Tillman, Hofmann, Schick
Anything else catch the eye?
With both teams being among the Top 3 highest-scoring teams in the league, we can once again expect a goal-packed clash. Four of the last five H2Hs featured goals from both sides and a minimum of three goals. And eight of RB’s last 10 matches in all competitions featured 3+ goals too.
They are the best home team in the league with six wins in six matches, and they score an average of three goals per match. We see a potential comeback in this fixture, as Bayer Leverkusen tend to start their matches strong and score first. But we’ve seen them drop leads too many times this season, and we believe RB Leipzig will claim the three points again.
Think both sides will find the net? Our BTTS Masterclass explains how to spot the fixtures where goals are a given.
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