Bundesliga: Top Four Hopefuls Clash in Leipzig

RB Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Fifth plays sixth at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday when Leipzig vs Eintracht Frankfurt is the Bundesliga box office entertainment on offer. 

Marco Rose’s Leipzig have had their eyes on the top spot since they put together a winning run, but they are currently four points off the pace and, with Borussia Dortmund in impressive form challenging FC Bayern, there are signs that Die Roten Bullen might just fall short. 

But there are still 13 rounds to play with twists and turns to come, and a 3-0 win away to Wolfsburg last time out kept RB Leipzig in touch with the leaders while Eintracht are also still in the hunt thanks to a 2-0 victory over Werder Bremen.

Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner has a bit of a pick-up job to do after his team lost a home Champions League tie to Napoli on Tuesday, while Leipzig have their European date still to complete.

Then it’s back to domestic matters and a chance for either team to break into the top four and then maybe, particularly in the case of Leipzig, set their sights a little higher. 

Talking Points

Red Bulls ready to settle back in at home

The Bundesliga 2023 betting oddsreckon the hosts should win this one but Leipzig’s recent clash with fellow title hopefuls Union Berlin ended a run of nine games unbeaten at home, so Rose will be keen to ensure his team puts on a strong show against Eintracht. They were caught out by Union Berlin, having led until the hour Leipzig conceded twice in ten minutes and, though they dominated the ball, they failed to break down a resolute Berlin defence.    

Star striker Christopher Nkunku was injured on the eve of the World Cup but he made a substitute appearance in the win over Wolfsburg last week and he is in line to make a start on Saturday and I wouldn’t back against him adding to his 12 goals for the campaign.

Hungarian attacking midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has been in superb form as a support to the strikers and the 22-year-old will stretch the Eintracht defence with his direct running and superb array of passing. He has already won 28 international caps, scoring six goals, and his 20m Euros switch from Red Bull Salzburg in 2021 made him the most expensive Hungarian of all time.

Timo Werner is back in Leipzig leading the line, after an unsuccessful spell at Chelsea and, with the experienced Emil Forsberg as a flexible forward this is a dangerous front line. The return of Nkunku gives the Red Bulls hope of improving on their fourth-placed finish last year, particularly if they can make their home a fortress once again.      

Magical Kolo Muani owes Frankfurt 

Eintracht’s French striker Randal Kolo Muani has produced plenty of Bundesliga 2023 highlights this season with ten goals and ten assists so far, and alongside Japanese midfielder Daichi Kamada, he has terrified defences up and down the league.

But when Eintracht Frankfurt played their Champions League tie at home to Napoli on Tuesday night it all went wrong for the 24-year-old. At 1-0 down Frankfurt were pressing for an equaliser but, in a moment of madness, Kolo Muani felled Napoli’s Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa with a studs-up challenge and he saw red.

There was no need to even foul the midfielder as the Italians were deep in their own half, but they took advantage and are taking a formidable two-goal advantage back to Naples.

So it looks like the Eagles’ European adventure is just about over, particularly as Kolo Muani is suspended for the second leg, and he now owes his team-mates a big performance in Leipzig.     

History

Eintracht are edging the head-to-headresults with four wins to three. Four of the last five meetings ended in a draw and then Eintracht thumped Red Bull 4-0 in September as Kamada opened the floodgates with an early goal. 

In terms of recent form, Leipzig have four wins, one draw and one defeat over the past six games while Frankfurt have won three, drawn one and lost two. And the last time Eintracht were on the road they suffered a 3-0 mauling at the hands of Cologne. 

Betting Tip

Red Bull are at home to Manchester City in a Wednesday night Champions League clash so the Eagles have a day more to prepare for this clash. But the hosts are at SBOTOPodds of 1.66 to win this game with the draw at 3.73 and Eintracht at 3.88, and I believe the return of Nkunku and home advantage will be enough for the Red Bulls to take all three points.

 

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