Position
At Bochum last weekend, RB Leipzig did something they'd never done before in their Bundesliga history: they squandered a three-goal goal. Understandably, coach Marco Rose wasn't the only one who was utterly dismayed at full time: "Not only today, but relatively often this season we've been too naive and are recklessly jeopardising our objectives. It's just about willingness, about pointing out dangers and opportunities to each other. In terms of recklessness, for me it's a matter of professionalism and attitude. We're talking about RB Leipzig, a Champions League club." After just 21 minutes, Willi Orban, Antonio Nusa and Christoph Baumgartner had fired the visitors into a seemingly comfortable 3-0 lead with three goals in the space of 12 minutes. But shortly after the restart, Bochum showed they can do that too: Myron Boadu needed just a minute more for his hat-trick. The reactions of the Leipzig players after the 3-3 draw against the basement boys all pointed in the same direction. "Unbelievable," found Kevin Kampl. "It feels like a defeat, it's extremely bitter," said captain Orban.
Four days later, the coach and team felt a duty in the Champions League game at home to Sporting CP. After six defeats in six games in the competition, Leipzig may not have had any more chance of qualifying, but it was about "gaining confidence through results", as Rose demanded before the match. His team put that into practice on Wednesday night, with strikers Benjamin Sesko and Yussuf Poulsen securing a 2-1 win and the first three points of the current campaign. "It was about the feeling of being able to win," said the winning goalscorer after the final whistle. And looking ahead to the meeting with Bayer 04 on Saturday, Poulsen recalled Leipzig's 3-2 away victory in the reverse fixture. "We need to produce our best performance again. We've already beaten Leverkusen once this season. We know what it's about – and how to do it."
The Saxony outfit are currently fifth in the league with 31 points, 10 behind Bayer 04 in second. RB have won just three of their last 10 Bundesliga outings, with five defeats and two draws. In the DFB Cup, like the Werkself, they're in the quarter-finals after wins over Rot-Weiß Essen (4-1), FC St. Pauli (4-2) and Eintracht Frankfurt (3-0), where they'll face VfL Wolfsburg at home on 26 February.
Personnel
Forwards Lois Openda and Sesko, who were badly missed because of suspension at Bochum, returned up front against Sporting and are available again on Saturday against Bayer 04. Sesko is RB's top scorer this season with eight goals, while Openda has netted six times and is one of the best providers in the league with five assists.
At the back, Rose may have to do without his number one Peter Gulacsi. The Hungary goalkeeper injured his shoulder in training on Tuesday and was left on the bench against Sporting as a precaution. "We won't take any risk with Pete and want him to be 100 percent, so we'll have to see what that looks like heading into the weekend," confirmed Rose after the Champions League clash. If Gulacsi isn't fully fit, Maarten Vandevoordt will again line up between the posts.
Definitely missing against the Werkself will be full-back Benjamin Henrichs (achilles), midfielders Xaver Schlager (knee) and Assan Ouedraogo (thigh) as well as striker André Silva (calf).
Problems
Leipzig have let in seven goals in their first three league matches of the new year. "A bit much," criticised Rose. If you include the final three competitive games of 2024, you actually get to 16 goals conceded in the last six. Just before Christmas, the Saxons gifted five goals to Bayern in a 5-1 defeat. This defensive fragility is wholly untypical of RB, who had boasted the second-best defence in the league (15 goals conceded) after the record champions (12) up until the heavy defeat in Munich. Before Matchday 14, Leipzig had even kept eight clean sheets. A strong defence has always been one of the club's assets in recent years. Why RB have been so vulnerable at the back lately and why they've already let a lead slip on seven occasions this season is the puzzle that Rose and his team want to solve as quickly as possible.
Performers
The attacking trio of Xavi Simons, Openda and Sesko caused a stir last season, accounting for 46 of Leipzig's 77 goals. And it's again those three who offer the biggest goal threat this term. Summer signing Nusa has also slotted in well to Leipzig's attacking play: the Norwegian winger has scored three goals and laid on another four so far. That means 21 of the team's 32 goals have come from Openda, Sesko, Simons and Nusa. The lightning-quick Openda also demonstrated his quality in the 3-2 win in Leverkusen earlier this season with a brace, which remains the Werkself's only Bundesliga defeat this season.
