Borussia Monchengladbach vs RB Leipzig
Two top-five sides from last season will collide to start off the third round of Bundesliga matches as Borussia Monchengladbach host RB Leipzig. Both sides are still undefeated through their first two matches, and both also picked up wins last weekend.
Gladbach got their first win of the new campaign with a convincing 3-1 win away to Mainz. Meanwhile, Leipzig took care of business against Eintracht Frankfurt in their home opener.
Both clubs also have new managers who are still looking to put their stamp on their respective teams. This matchup will be a big test for them to see exactly where their sides are at.
Leipzig, in particular, will look to show that they are more serious title challengers than the Bundesliga 2019 betting odds suggest.
Talking Points
Gladbach’s rebuilt attack
Marco Rose’s first big task this season as Gladbach manager is to find a way to retool the team’s attack after the loss of Thorgan Hazard. The Belgian, who moved on to Borussia Dortmund during the summer, was the key to the Gladbach attack, contributing 10 goals and 10 assists last season.
But last year’s top scorer — Alassane Plea (12 goals) — returned, and they reinvested the Hazard transfer fee on young forwards Breel Embolo and Marcus Thuram.
It’s just two games into the season, but the early signs are promising for Gladbach. They dominated their opening match against Schalke, controlling 60 per cent of possession and having a 16-8 advantage in terms of shots. They were a bit unlucky not to win and had to settle for a 0-0 draw.
But they finally found the target in their second match against Mainz. Plea and Embolo scored in quick succession as Gladbach completed their comeback to win, 3-1.
That new-look attack will face by far its toughest test to date against Leipzig, who boasted the stingiest defence in the league last season.
Nagelsmann quickly making his mark
Julian Nagelsmann’s tenure in Leipzig is off to a strong start. The 32-year-old wunderkind has been renowned for his innovative tactics, particularly offensively, and he has made some changes that are already leading to more Bundesliga 2019 highlights for the Red Bulls.
Perhaps his most notable change thus far has been playing Marcel Sabitzer in a more attacking role alongside Timo Werner and Yussuf Poulsen.
As a result, Sabitzer has been among the standout performers of the first two weeks. After recording four goals and three assists all of last season, he already has a goal and three assists, all of which came in their impressive 4-0 win over Union Berlin.
Meanwhile, Werner has continued the form that has made him one of the very best players in the Bundesliga for the past few seasons. The German forward has scored in each of the first two matches, a sign that he might reach yet another level this season playing for Nagelsmann.
Leipzig’s defence was simply outstanding last season; they conceded a mere 29 goals, the fewest in the league by some margin. Although, they haven’t been sufficiently tested by Union Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt, who lost their top two forwards in Luka Jovic and Sebastien Haller last season.
Gladbach’s forward line isn’t exactly among the elite in the league, but it will still be another test for the Leipzig defence, which has given up double-digit shots in their first two matches.
History
While Gladbach are among the oldest (119 years old) and most decorated (five-time German champions, two-time UEFA Cup winners) clubs in German football, RB Leipzig are among the youngest (10 years).
As such, they have faced each other just six times in their history. It has been a one-sided affair thus far, with Leipzig still unbeaten against Gladbach in those six meetings (four wins, two draws).
The Red Bulls currently have a three-match winning run going against Gladbach after they won both meetings last season.
Marcel Halstenberg bagged a brace to beat Gladbach in their visit to the Borussia-Park, while Timo Werner had a brace of his own in their 2-0 win at home.
Betting Tip
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Borussia Monchengladbach vs RB Leipzig | 1X2 RB Leipzig @ 2.04 |
| August 31, 02:30 (GMT+8) |
The signs are pointing toward another Leipzig win. Their performances under Nagelsmann suggest they haven’t missed a beat from last season. (They have now gone undefeated in 17 of their last 18 matches with 12 wins and five draws.) If anything, they could be better thanks to Nagelsmann’s offensive tweaks.
In contrast, Gladbach are still finding their way under Rose. And while their 3-1 win over Mainz was impressive, the jury is still out on their attack, especially against a top-quality defence like Leipzig. Moreover, Gladbach have had a torrid time at home of late; they’ve failed to win in their last nine at Borussia-Park (four draws, five defeats).
SBOBET odds currently have Leipzig priced at 2.04 to win on the 1X2 market, which is decent value considering they are the much superior side.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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