RB Leipzig against Augsburg: Preview and Prediction.
Unbeaten RB Leipzig will visit 12th-place Augsburg at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday in pursuit of their third win.
The unreliable FC Augsburg will be hoping for their second win of the 2024/25 Bundesliga when they travel to face RB Leipzig, who have lost their past two league games.
The home squad is now fifth in the Bundesliga after two victories and as many draws in the first half of the season. They may be undefeated, but their recent performance has been subpar.
In their third league game, RB Leipzig drew with Union Berlin, and they were also unable to beat newly promoted FC St. Pauli. Despite controlling the ball, they were not clinical. Between the two draws, they were defeated by Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
The visitors are now ranked 12th, having won only one of their four matches. Their sole win came against FC St. Pauli, who managed to fend off Leipzig in their most recent games.
Augsburg enters this game after losing 3-2 to FSV Mainz. They had greater possession and generated several opportunities but were unable to capture three points. They will now try to improve their final-third performance against RB Leipzig. The Hard Tackle examines both sides and attempts to forecast which strategies they would employ.
Team News and Tactics RB Leipzig
Xaver Schlager will be sidelined till the beginning of next year. Assan Ouedraogo and Kevin Kampl are both anticipated to miss time due to injury. Meanwhile, Eljif Elmas has taken a hit and may not be ready for selection.
The host team will line up in a 4-4-2 configuration, which will resemble a 4-2-2-2 in the offensive phases. RB Leipzig’s goalkeeper will be Peter Gulácsi, with Lutsharel Geertruida and David Raum playing fullback. Willi Orban will start in the center of the defense with Castello Lukeba.
The back four will look to keep a clean sheet, and they will be helped by Amadou Haidara and Nicolas Seiwald, who will play key roles in front of them. Meanwhile, Christoph Baumgartner and Xavi Simons will be on the flanks. The two will try to add width to their assaults and provide opportunities for Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko, who will lead the charge.
Possible lineup (4-4-2): Gulacsi; Geertruida, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Baumgartner, Haidara, Seiwald, Simons; Sesko. Openda.
Samuel Essende is suspended after receiving a red card in their last match. Aside from him, Robert Gumny and Daniel Klein are unavailable.Reece Oxford has COVID-19 and is anticipated to be unavailable. However, Augsburg might benefit from Masaya Okugawa’s scheduled return in time for the encounter against RB Leipzig.
The visitors will go with a 3-4-2-1 system, with Nediljko Labrovic in goal. The back three will consist of Maximilian Bauer, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, and Keven Schlotterbeck. They will try to keep things tight at the back with the help of wing-backs Marius Wolf and Dimitris Giannoulis. The duo will try to contribute from both ends of the pitch.
Frank Onyeka and Kristijan Jakic will compete for ball possession in the center of the park. They will want to control the tempo of the game. Elvis Rexhbecaj and Ruben Vargas will play as the two attacking midfielders behind Phillip Tietz.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Labrovic, Bauer, Gouweleeuw, Schlotterbeck; Wolf, Onyeka, Jakic, Giannoulis; Rexhbecaj, Vargas, Tietz.
Key Stats
- RB Leipzig have won 11 out of the last 20 matches against FC Augsburg.
- The visitors are winless in their last 13 outings against Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
- Augsburg last won a league game against Leipzig back in 2017.
- Leipzig are unbeaten in their last 15 matches in the Bundesliga. It is their longest run in the top light.
- The visitors have lost each of their last five away league games.
Player to Watch
Benjamin Sesko
Sesko has been on the radar of several big teams for some time. But he opted to stay in Leipzig for another year. The 21-year-old Slovenian striker has had a solid start to the season, with two goals and two assists in six games, but has not been at his best in the Bundesliga. As a result, Sesko will be keen to make his league debut when they host Augsburg.
Prediction: RB Leipzig 2-1 Augsburg.
Leipzig has gone winless in their previous three games in all competitions, and they will not find it easy against Augsburg. However, history shows that they consistently outperform the visitors. While it will be a competitive game, Leipzig may finally come away with all three points.The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for the home team.
Read more on sportupdates.co.uk
Leave a Reply