Bundesliga: Leipzig Will be Challenged at Home by Gladbach

RB Leipzig vs Borussia Monchengladbach

RB Leipzig pursuit of their first Bundesliga title has hit a snag, as they recently lost their first league game of the season against Borussia Dortmund last weekend (2-1).

To add salt to the wound, Marco Rose’s men suffered their fourth consecutive Champions League defeat against Celtic (3-1) on Tuesday, putting them under immense pressure to return on the winning track when Borussia Monchengladbach visit town this Saturday.

Marco Rose’s men remain second in the table with 20 points, but their recent league defeat put them three points behind Bayern Munich.

On the other hand, Borussia Monchengladbach have improved to ninth in the German top-flight table with 13 points. And a win on the road could put them as high as sixth at the end of this weekend.

Is an upset in the cards for this contest? Learn more about these two teams via today’s SBOTOP preview.

 

Talking Points

RB Leipzig miss Simons badly

RB Leipzig haven’t been the same since losing 1-0 against Liverpool in their third Champions League match because they lost Xavi Simons to an ankle injury.

According to The Athletic, the versatile midfielder will not play for the rest of the 2024 calendar year, which is undoubtedly a huge blow for Marco Rose and co. since he is one of the team’s top scorers.

Since Simons was sidelined, Marco Rose tried different formations in their last four games, such as 4-2-2-2, 3-4-3, and even a 4-4-2, producing mixed results. Before their two-game losing streak, they won against SC Freiburg and St. Pauli during the DFB-Pokal second round.

With Simons out, Lois Openda and Benjamin Sesko will continue to shoulder the heavy load on offence, and the two have done an admirable job, combining for eight league goals and four assists thus far.

Christoph Baumgartner and Antonio Nusa will also provide support in the final third.

Xavi Simons is not the only notable absentee for Die Roten Bullen, as Castello Lukeba, David Raum, and Lutsharel Geertruida are also in the medical room, hurting their defencive depth.

 

Kleindienst shines for Borussia Monchengladbach

The Foals have finally found the perfect replacement for Marcus Thuram, who left the team for Inter Milan last year, as Tim Kleindenst has been kicking on under head coach Gerardo Seoane.

The 29-year-old striker was signed on a four-year contract by Borussia Monchengladbach this summer after scoring 12 times in 33 league appearances during Heidenheim’s commendable Bundesliga debut last season.

He already has six goals after the first nine matchdays, putting him joint-third alongside Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface in the Bundesliga Golden Boot race. With him leading the way, Borussia Monchengladbach have the league’s seventh-best offence (15 goals).

Kleindenst is not only creating highlights for himself but for his teammates too, as he also has a team-high of four assists, helping the likes of Alassane Plea and Franck Honorat in adding to their accounts.

 

History

RB Leipzig have a three-game winning streak over Borussia Monchengladbach, scoring a total of six goals while conceding none on the other end. Die Roten Bullen have never lost to the Foals at the Red Bull Arena in the German top-flight (W5, D3).

RB Leipzig’s recent defeat against Borussia Dortmund ended their club record of 19 consecutive games of going unbeaten in the Bundesliga (W13, D6). With 20 points in nine games, they have the exact same record they had at this stage of last season (W6, D2, L1).

Marco Rose’s side are on an 11-game undefeated run at home in the Bundesliga (W8, D3), conceding only three goals and notching eight clean sheets.

On the other hand, Borussia Monchengladbach are unbeaten in three straight Bundesliga matches (W2, D1). However, they haven’t won consecutive Bundesliga matches within one season since March 2022.

 

Betting Tip

The Bundesliga 2024 odds expect RB Leipzig to return to winning ways as soon as this weekend, especially since they’re playing at home. The Red Bulls are 1.49 favourites to win, whereas the visiting Foals are 4.95 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.37 in the 1X2 market.

This fixture should feature several Bundesliga 2024 highlights, with the hosts expected to score more than the visitors, so bettors may also go for alternative bets like Total Goals 2-3 at 2.29, Over 3.00 at 1.61, Over 3.25 at 1.85, or even Over 3.50 at 2.08.

Furthermore, an upset victory for Borussia Monchengladbach will give you a huge payday, as Correct Scores of 1-0 and 2-0 (for example) in their favour are priced at 22.00 and 42.00, respectively.

   

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