Our next opponents: Leipzig out for revenge

Position

Leipzig's start to the new year did not go according to plan as they suffered their first home league defeat of the season against Eintracht Frankfurt. It was the first time RBL have been beaten in the Bundesliga at the Red Bull Arena in over nine months and 13 games.

The hosts dominated for large spells against the Eagles but were left ruing missed chances in the 1-0 loss. Despite 31 attempts on goal, 15 corners and 63% possession, the ball just wouldn't go in for Marco Rose's men. He side did a lot right after the early opener from Frankfurt's Ansgar Knauff, said Rose, "but we lacked composure in a few situations". Leipzig still have a three-point cushion over fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund in the table.

In the UEFA Champions League, Leipzig qualified for the round of 16 in convincing fashion, finishing second in Group G behind holders Manchester City. They face a mammoth task next against Real Madrid. In the DFB Cup, though, the winners of the previous two years were knocked out in the second round this time after a 1-0 defeat at Wolfsburg.

Personnel

Captain Willi Orban, who's out with a torn lateral knee ligament, is currently the only player unavailable due to injury, the Hungarian centre-back continuing to work individually on his comeback. Rose is also without Amadou Haidara, who's in action at the Africa Cup of Nations with Mali.

An extremely important player made his return for the Red Bulls against Frankfurt last week in Dani Olmo, who replaced Christoph Baumgartner in the 68th minute following two and a half months on the sidelines. It remains to be seen whether the Spain international can already go the distance against the Werkself on Saturday, but there's no doubting how much the playmaker is needed. "Dani dictates the rhythm, he gives us calmness, he can control the game, he can score goals, assist goals. He's an indispensable player for the objectives we have," said Rose.

Two other key men for Leipzig are central defensive pairing Mohamed Simakan and Lukas Klostermann. The latter has been with the club since 2014 and recently extended his contract until 2028. Klostermann, who's the second longest-serving player in the RBL squad after Yussuf Poulsen (2013) and is set to make his 280th competitive appearance against Leverkusen, "is a role model at the club and reliability personified", praised Rose. In the full-back positions, David Raum on the left and ex-Bayer 04 player Benjamin Henrichs are the coach's preferred choices. Kevin Kampl, another former Leverkusen man, and Xaver Schlager are normally first choice in the centre of midfield, although Leipzig have added to their options there in January with the signing of North Macedonia international Eljif Elmas. The 24-year-old has joined from Italian champions Napoli and made his debut off the bench against Frankfurt. Bringing the quality in attack alongside Olmo are names like Xavi Simons, Lois Openda and Poulsen.

Two Leipzig legends have left the club in the January transfer window. Timo Werner, RBL's record goalscorer with 113 goals in total, has made just two starts this season and was loaned to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur last week until the end of the campaign. Emil Forsberg, meanwhile, played his last game for the Saxony club before Christmas in the 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen. After nine years in Leipzig, the Swede has moved to MLS outfit New York Red Bulls. RBL have also cut short Fabio Carvalho's loan spell, which was due to run until the end of the season, and the midfielder has returned to Liverpool.

Performers

Leipzig are in the top three in the league for both attack and defence. Only Bayern Munich (52) and Bayer 04 (47) have scored more goals than the Red Bulls (38), and when it comes to goals conceded, the Werkself (12) and Bayern (15) are again the only two teams better than RBL (18). Leipzig have long been characterised by quick counter-attacking and combination football, with big power in attack. Striker Openda, who moved to Leipzig from RC Lens in France in summer 2023, is the team's leading scorer with 11 goals as well as five assists. The signing of the 23-year-old Belgian has proven to be a hit, as has that of Xavi. The Dutchman, who joined on loan from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, has lived up to his reputation as one of Europe's most promising attacking talents. With nine assists, the 20-year-old is the Red Bulls' top provider and second in the Bundesliga behind Bayern's Leroy Sané (11). Xavi has also posted four goals himself. Talking of goals: no side in the league boast as many different goalscorers this season as Leipzig (14). They're particularly dangerous from set pieces - 12 goals from dead balls is also a league high.

ProblemS

Everyone in a Leipzig shirt was in agreement that they shouldn't have lost the game against Eintracht. "Maybe we lacked that final sharpness," said Rose after the 1-0 loss, in which his team were way ahead in almost every statistic. In fact, RBL have registered the second most shots on goal but they're only in eighth place when it comes to chance conversion this term. As dangerous as the Saxons are from their own set plays, they're vulnerable to those from opponents. Eight of the 18 goals they've conceded have come from set-piece situations.

Prediction

RB Leipzig and Bayer 04 produced a thrilling contest at the BayArena on the opening weekend of the season, which the Werkself won 3-2. The crowd at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday can look forward to a similarly fast-paced, attacking spectacle. After the upheaval in the summer with the departure of four key players in Josko Gvardiol, Dominik Szoboszlai, Christopher Nkunku and Konrad Laimer, Rose has managed to quickly put together a strong squad again. They had 32 points at the halfway point of last season, one less than they currently have. If RB also collect just one more point in the Rückrunde  than in the first 17 matches, it would equal their record points tally in the top flight of 67 from the 2016/17 campaign. They've certainly got what it takes, but for now they're keen on revenge. "We're determined to pull it off at home and beat Leverkusen," declared Raum.