RB Leipzig vs Dortmund – Preview, Predictions and Best Bets

The Red Bulls sit fifth in the table whilst BVB are eight points off Bayern Munich in second place. RB Leipzig have won seven of the last ten clashes between these clubs.

RB Leipzig Form

RB Leipzig come into this match with five losses in their last ten fixtures. After successive league defeats, they beat Freiburg 2-0 at home. A 5-1 humbling followed at home to Bayern Munich. They have gone win-loss-draw and win-loss-draw in their last six matches to highlight their inconsistency. 

A 2-0 win at Heidenheim preceded a 1-1 draw at St. Pauli in Hamburg. They lost 2-1 at home to Mainz before winning 2-1 at FC Koln. A 2-0 defeat at Bayern Munich in the DFK Pokal saw 3.11 xG conceded. Last Sunday, they scored late to draw 2-2 at home to Wolfsburg with a 20-10 shot count and 2.94 xG produced.  

RB Leipzig Team News

Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi went off injured in the last match. Maarten Vandevoordt is set to deputise between the sticks. Coach Ole Werner has key left back David Raum available again after suspension.

Right back Kosta Nedeljković is unavailable due to a back injury. Suleman Sani, Assan Ouédraogo and Viggo Gebel will play no part in this one.

RB Leipzig Motivation

RB Leipzig have a great record in this fixture. That will give them confidence to play for a win.

A victory is needed in the race for a top-four finish. They will try to attack Dortmund and arrest their dire recent home form (three losses in the last five).

Dortmund Form

Dortmund have won six straight Bundesliga matches. They’re seven points off Bayern Munich and it’s unlikely that they will catch Die Roten. After successive league wins, they lost 2-0 at Tottenham in January in the Champions League. A 3-0 win at Union Berlin was followed by a 2-0 home loss to Inter Milan.

BVB have responded well with four straight wins. Their last league match brought a 4-0 home win over Mainz. They beat Atalanta 2-0 in their Champions League playoff on Tuesday. Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier scored the goals to put one foot in the last-16.

Dortmund Team News

Emre Can is ruled out in defence due to a groin injury. Nico Schlotterbeck has missed the last two matches and remains a doubt, whilst fellow defender Niklas Sule is absent.

Young Italian defender Filippo Mane is another absentee in a depleted backline. Niko Kovac could freshen up his attack with either Carney Chukwuemeka or Karim Adeyemi.

Dortmund Motivation

Dortmund need a win to keep their vague title hopes alive. They have one eye on their second leg against Atalanta in Bergamo in midweek.

BVB do not play an open game, but they’re a steady and consistent side. They tend to lose this fixture so a draw is not a bad result on paper.

Key Stats

• RB Leipzig have lost 5 of their last 10 matches
• RB Leipzig have lost 3 of their last 4 home matches
• Dortmund have won their last 6 Bundesliga matches
• Dortmund have lost 7 of their last 10 matches vs RB Leipzig
• Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy has 6 goals in his last 4 matches

Verdict

Despite their poor record vs RB Leipzig, I see Dortmund continuing their winning streak in the league.

Best Bet: Dortmund win at 3.00

Goalscorer Tip: Guirassy to score anytime at 2.25