Prediction: RB Leipzig vs Borussia Dortmund

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 9/5

Bookmaker: Betfair

RB Leipizig are scheduled to play host to Borussia Dortmund at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday afternoon in a match within the sixth round of the Bundesliga season. The two teams are currently on very different form levels, and it may be the perfect moment for Dortmund to be making the Leipzig trip.

RB Leipzig

Having finished four last time out and qualified for the Champions League, Leipzig obviously had big aspirations this term. Their hopes were boosted further by the return of Timo Werner after two years at Chelsea this summer, as well as the arrival of centre-back Abdou Diallo on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. Further more, the club reportedly rebuffed a late interest in midfielder Konrad Laimer coming from Liverpool.

However, things haven’t gone nearly as planned since the start of the campaign and Leipzig are currently in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, with just five points from five matches so far. Further more, they were utterly beaten at home by Shakhtar Donetsk in the opening round of the Champions League roller coaster, which has led the club to make the difficult decision to sack Domenico Tedesco as the head coach. Former Borussia Monchengladbach and Dortmund boss Marco Rose has been appointed in his place.

In the league, Leipzig drew 1-1 away to VfB Stuttgart, then 2-2 at home against FC Koln, lost 2-1 away to Union Berlin, beat Wolfsburg at home by 2-0, and got thrashed 4-0 away to Eintracht Frankfurt, before Shakhtar came and scored four against them as well, with the only consolation coming from Mohamed Simakan in the 57th minute.

Rose obviously faces a difficult task of getting the team back to winning ways as soon as possible.

Team News

Three important players for Leipzig have been ruled out of this match. Attacking midfielder Dani Olmo suffered a bad knee injury which is now set to keep him out of action for six weeks, late in the match in Frankfurt. Striker Yussuff Poulsen (torn muscle fibre) and defender Lukas Klostermann (ruptured syndesmotic ligament) remain out.

Rose is likely to return defenders Josko Gvardiol, David Baum and Benjamin Henrichs to the starting XI after Tedesco left them on the bench against Shakhtar. In the absence of Olmo, Emil Forsberg could be given a go behind the striker partnership formed by Werner and Christopher Nkunku.

Borussia Dortmund

Unlike Leipzig, Dortmund have so far had only one slip up and as a result, they’re currently second to SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga table by a single goal, with both teams having 12 points from five matches so far. They beat Bayer Leverkusen at home by 1-0 in the season opener and directly inflicted Freiburg with their only loss so far, 1-3 away. Then came the unexpected 2-3 defeat at home at the hands of Werder Bremen, but the boys in black-and-yellow quickly sprang back with a pair of one-goal victories, 0-1 away to Hertha Berlin and 1-0 at home against Hoffenheim.

In midweek, Dortmund impressed with a 3-0 home win over FC Copenhagen in the Champions League, with Marco Reus, Raphael Guerreiro and Jude Bellingham all on target.

Dortmund were, of course, forced into selling Erling Haaland to Manchester City this summer as the Premier League champions came in and triggered the buyout clause in the contract of the Norwegian striker. The club signed Karim Adeyemi from RB Salzburg and Sebastien Haller from Ajax to try and compensate for the loss of Haaland, but the latter is now battling against a testicular tumour and it will be a long while before he plays again.

Team News

Edin Terzic, who replaced Rose at the helm at Dortmund, won’t be able to call upon winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (shoulder), while Adeyemi and Thorgan Hazard are doubts ahead of the match. Add the Haller absence into the equation and the attacking ranks obviously seem a bit light at the moment, but there are still Donyell Malen, 17-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko and 34-year-old Anthony Modeste to choose from.

Midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud is out with a shoulder injury, as is fullback Mateu Morey (knee).

Conclusion

There shouldn’t be too many goals in this contest, but Dortmund shouldn’t have too much difficulty in leaving the Red Bull Arena with all three points in their bag. Leipzig are still looking for the best way out of the stupor they seem to have fallen in, and it will likely be a while until they adjust to the new coach.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 9/5

Bookmaker: Betfair