Crvena zvezda – RB Leipzig : Preview & Prediction
Time is running out for Red Star Belgrade in their quest for a ticket to the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) for the first time in their history. The European Cup champions of the 1990/91 campaign sit bottom of Group G after collecting just one point from their first three matches (E1, P2), recording the second-worst defense at this stage of the competition after conceding eight goals in four games.
It has been a different story for Barak Bakhar’s side in the domestic league, where they have won five of their last six league games (E1), managing to climb to second place in the Serbian Super League, a performance they will be hoping to transfer to the international stage. However, their defensive problems are present in all competitions, as they have not kept five clean sheets, including a 3-1 loss to RB Leipzig, their opponents this time around, last month.
RB Leipzig will be hoping for a repeat of that win, as they are in danger of recording three consecutive defeats for the first time since April. It has been a bad week for the Red Bulls, whose reign as defending DFB-Pokal champions came to an end at the hands of Wolfsburg, while they also suffered a surprise defeat to Mainz at the weekend, failing to score in either of those games.
That has increased the pressure on coach Marco Rose, although he insists he “has a lot of faith in the team” to turn things around. The players also have the perfect motivation to up their game, as a win in this match could be enough to take RB Leipzig into the Round of 16, depending on the outcome of the Young Boys v Manchester City clash, thanks to two wins in their first three Group G (P1) appearances.
Players to watch: Red Star’s Jean-Philippe Krasso has helped his team win ten of the last 13 matches in which he has scored (E2, P1). Looking to surpass him could be Benjamin Sesko, who already has one goal in the UCL this season, while already scoring 16 of his last 18 goals after the break.
Weekend stat: RB Leipzig’s previous three UCL matches ended 3-1 (G2, P1).
Crvena zvezda – RB Leipzig : Betting Tips
RB Leipzig – Win Odds: 1.55
