RB Leipzig vs Bayer Leverkusen

One of the most heavily anticipated fixtures in the Bundesliga calendar pits RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen at the Red Bull Arena.

RB Leipzig posted their first win in the Champions League’s newly formatted league phase, beating Sporting CP 2-1 at home to end a dreadful six-game losing record. However, Marco Rose’s men are already out of contention for the knockout phase and can focus on forcing their way back into the Bundesliga top four. Indeed, Leipzig’s disheartening four-game league form (W1, D1, L2) has seen them fall out of the Champions League qualification spots. But only one point separates them from fourth-placed Stuttgart before the kickoff. The Red Bull Arena has been Leipzig’s fortress this season, with ‘Die Roten Bullen’ only losing one league game thus far (W5, D2). Furthermore, they’ve won their last two home league outings despite conceding, boosting their hopes of pulling off a first top-flight double over Leverkusen since 2018/19.

In the meantime, Bayer Leverkusen slumped to a gut-wrenching 2-1 defeat at 10-man Atletico Madrid in midweek Champions League action, relinquishing an impressive 11-game winning run in all competitions. However, as the only unbeaten away team in the Bundesliga this season (W5, D3), ‘Die Werkself’ should take the field confident of avenging a frustrating 3-2 defeat in the reverse fixture. Another high-scoring contest is on the cards, considering eight of Leverkusen’s last 12 top-flight matches have featured over 2.5 goals. Furthermore, Xabi Alonso’s men have won three consecutive league games on the road since a 1-1 draw at Bochum in early November, netting 2+ goals in each victory. Therefore, it’s hardly surprising they’ve closed the gap on table-topping Bayern Munich to only four points.