RB Leipzig – Stuttgart : Preview & Prediction
RB Leipzig had a near-perfect start to the season when they demolished Bayern Munich 3-0 in the German Super Cup, but fell apart after a 3-2 loss to Bayer Leverkusen on the opening day of the Bundesliga. Coach Marco Rose described the defeat as a “really disappointing” result and the German has been frustrated that his players are at the center of constant transfer speculation, with Dani Olmo and Mohamed Simakan the latest to be linked with possible departures during the transfer window.
The Red Bulls will now be keen to avoid suffering a similar start to the campaign to last season, when they failed to win either of their first two games (E2) and won just one of their first five (E2, P2). However, Leipzig have never started a league season with consecutive defeats in the club’s short history, something they will want to avoid suffering here against Stuttgart, an opponent against whom they have never lost (G8, E2).
Stuttgart may never have been this confident before visiting the RB Arena, as they sit at the top of the Bundesliga standings after an emphatic 5-0 win over Bochum on the opening day of the season. It is the first time the team has been at the top of the standings since the opening day of the 2021-22 campaign, but back then they fell quickly after going down 4-0 to none other than RB Leipzig.
Stuttgart last won their first two league games in the 1996-97 campaign, while they have not gone unbeaten in their first two league games in over a decade. However, and like their opponents this time around, Sebastian Hoeneß’s men are also dealing with market rumors, with star defender Konstantinos Mavropanos leaving the team and signing for West Ham United, something that is not ideal before visiting a venue where they have lost all five previous times they have played.
Players to watch: Loïs Openda scored in his first Bundesliga game for Leipzig, but it was his first club game scoring that ended in defeat since March 2022 (G17, E3 before that). Serhou Guirassy scored the beginning and the end of Stuttgart’s rout of Bochum, while he further delighted fans this week by rejecting offers to leave the club.
Key statistic: In ten meetings between the sides, Stuttgart have only managed three goals against Leipzig, scoring just one of them at the RB Arena.
RB Leipzig – Stuttgart : Betting Tips
RB Leipzig – Win Odds: 1.45
