Wolfsburg – RB Leipzig : Preview & Prediction
Wolfsburg coach Niko Kovač demanded immediate improvement from his players after describing their first half against Schalke the previous matchday as “the worst we have played this season.” The coach was left furious by his side’s failure to topple the bottom club in the Bundesliga table, managing just two shots on target during a 0-0 draw that extended their winless streak to four clashes in all competitions (E1, P3).
Two of those losses came in the Bundesliga, meaning Wolves have lost significant ground in the race for a place in European competition next season. Recent history suggests they are unlikely to bounce back against RB Leipzig, whom they have beaten just once in 11 attempts since 2018 (E4, P6), conceding at least two goals on seven occasions.
Marco Rose’s side arrive at the Volkswagen Arena under a bit of pressure after falling seven points behind league leaders Bayern Munich with a painful 2-1 loss to second-placed Union Berlin last weekend. Rose admitted his side “lacked that finishing touch” in failing to make their 64% possession count, adding further concern to the aftermath of the 0-0 draw with Cologne in the game before that.
The Red Bulls are hoping a return to the road can end that two-game winless streak, as there have been no such concerns about their attacking prowess on their travels, where they scored 21 times in an eight-game unbeaten streak in all competitions (G5, E3). But to their concern, Leipzig have actually lost three of their four away league meetings (G1) against teams ranked in the top ten prior to this matchday, a record that will need to be corrected to revive their title race.
Players to watch: Wolfsburg defender Ridle Baku is their top scorer in the Bundesliga with five goals this season, helping his team win each of the five games where he found the back of the net. At the other end of the pitch, he will try to frustrate Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku, who has won six of the last ten league games in which he has scored for his club, including scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Wolves in August.
Key stat: Wolfsburg’s Bundesliga home games this season have averaged 4.11 goals per game, the highest total in the division prior to this matchday.
Wolfsburg – RB Leipzig : Betting Tips
RB Leipzig – Win Odds: 2.25
