Dortmund v RB Leipzig – Preview, Predictions and Best Bets

Dortmund hosts RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday. BVB has lost their last three matches and conceded 19 goals in their last eight fixtures. Meanwhile, the Red Bulls are on a 19-match unbeaten run in the league, with four consecutive Bundesliga wins.

Dortmund has lost five of their last eight matches across all competitions. After a 3-0 win at Club Brugge, they suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. They then secured two victories, including a 7-1 home win over Celtic in the Champions League.

A lackluster 2-1 loss at Union Berlin was followed by a 2-1 home win against St. Pauli, where Dortmund registered 20 shots and a 2.95 xG. However, they have since lost their last three fixtures: a 5-2 defeat at Real Madrid, where they were tied at 2-2 until the 82nd minute, a 2-1 loss at Augsburg, and a 1-0 DFB Pokal defeat at Wolfsburg.

Dortmund Team News

Nuri Sahin fielded Pascal Gross and Emre Can in defense for their last match. Right-back Yan Couto, on loan from Manchester City, is injured, and central defenders Niklas Süle and Waldemar Anton are also ruled out.

Wingers Gio Reyna and Julien Duranville remain sidelined, while Karim Adeyemi is still weeks away from returning due to a hamstring injury. Marcel Sabitzer is expected to return to the starting lineup after a partial rest against Wolfsburg.

Dortmund Motivation

The pressure is mounting on the coach after recent results, and a fourth consecutive defeat would be a major blow.

This match is a must-not-lose for both the club and Nuri Sahin. However, the coach is unlikely to change his high-risk, attacking approach.

RB Leipzig Form

The Red Bulls haven’t lost a Bundesliga match since February, but they have been defeated in all three Champions League games this season. After a 2-1 loss at Atletico Madrid, they suffered a 3-2 home loss to ten-man Juventus, having previously led 2-1. Two consecutive away league wins followed, 1-0 at Heidenheim and 2-0 at Mainz.

A hard-fought 1-0 home loss to Liverpool left them winless in Europe after three matches. However, they bounced back domestically with wins over Freiburg (3-1 in the league) and St. Pauli (4-2 in the DFB Pokal, scoring four goals from nine shots).

RB Leipzig Team News

RB Leipzig rested Lois Openda and Benjamin Šeško in their last match, with Andre Silva and Yussuf Poulsen starting, the latter scoring twice. David Raum is unavailable at left-back for this match.

Central midfielders Nicolas Seiwald and Xaver Schlager are also out. Creative winger Xavi Simons is sidelined with an ankle injury and won’t return until January.

RB Leipzig Motivation

Marco Rose’s side is brimming with confidence in the league and will view Dortmund’s defense as vulnerable.

RB Leipzig will aim to win and could look to exploit Dortmund’s tendency to leave open spaces with quick transitions.

Key Stats

Dortmund has lost 5 of their last 8 matches, conceding 19 goals.

Dortmund’s Guirassy has scored 12 goals in his last 11 matches for club and country.

RB Leipzig has kept 5 clean sheets in their last 6 league matches.

RB Leipzig is unbeaten in 19 Bundesliga matches (last four: WWWW).

This fixture has produced 40 goals in the last 10 meetings.

Verdict

This fixture typically produces a high goal tally. While RB Leipzig will miss Xavi Simons, they will face a weakened Dortmund defense. An away victory could be likely.

Best Bet: Over 3.5 goals at 2.10

Value Bet: RB Leipzig win at 3.00

Goalscorer Tip: Openda to score anytime at 2.45 or Guirassy to score anytime at 2.35