Leipzig (dpa) -
Only defeat
Leipzig has something of a unique selling point. In more than 50 Bundesliga games, Leverkusen have only lost once - and that was against RB. In the first half of the season, the champions led Leipzig 2-0 before the Saxons turned the game around to win 3-2. A repeat - from RB's point of view - would certainly be desirable.
Counterattacking
The strength of RB's soccer has always been its transition play. There is a slight problem with this against Leverkusen. The Bayer team knows like no other how to let their opponents' counterattacks come to nothing. They have not conceded a goal on the counter-attack since matchday 18 of last season - January 20, 2024. The last one was conceded by Loïs Openda in Leipzig, but they won 3:2.
A sure-footed ex
Patrik Schick knows Leipzig very well and is currently in impressive form. The Czech international striker played for RB on loan from Roma in the 2019/20 season before moving on to Leverkusen. The 28-year-old has scored twelve goals in his last eight games. Seven of those goals were set up by international Florian Wirtz.
The thing about taking the lead
RB Leipzig have done little with leads this season. They even led 3-0 in Bochum, but ended up with a disappointing 3-3 draw on the scoreboard. The Saxons have already conceded eleven points after taking the lead. That is the negative figure in the Bundesliga.
Defense strong and weak
Opinions differ when it comes to Leipzig's defense. For a long time, they were the team with the fewest goals conceded in the league, but then the statistics changed in November when they went winless. And there is little improvement in sight in the new year. They have already conceded seven goals in their first three league games, which coach Marco Rose openly denounced. The last competitive match so far without conceding a goal was the 2-0 win in Kiel at the beginning of November.
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