RB Leipzig vs. Bochum preview: Team news and predicted lineups
RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig are one of the big favorites on the first matchday of the Bundesliga season as they welcome VfL Bochum to the Red Bull Arnea.
After finishing fourth last season, Marco Rose's men got their campaign off to a fine start with a 4-1 DFB-Pokal win over RW Essen and now face a Bochum side that narrowly avoided relegation last term.
Die Roten Bullen were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Bochum last season, but won the away game 4-1.
Team News
Star player Dani Olmo is the most notable departure, having left to join FC Barcelona, with Antonio Nusa brought in as his replacement.
Importantly, Leipzig have extended the loan of Dutch wizard Xavi Simons for another season.
Leipzig have also brought in goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt to compete with Peter Gulacsi and young midfielder Assan Ouedraogo, who is currently out with a knee injury.
Baumgartner (knee), Bitshiabu (thigh), Elmas (thigh) and Schlager (knee) are all doubt for the game against Bochum.
VfL Bochum
After interim coach Heiko Butscher kept Bochum in the Bundesliga with a penalty shootout win over Fortuna Düsseldorf, the club have appointed Peter Zeidler as their new head coach.
Zeidler's side showed promising signs in a 6-0 friendly win over Le Havre, but were then knocked out of the DFB-Pokal by a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Regensburg.
A different kind of performance will be needed if they are to get anything out of their opening game of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season.
Team News
Bochum have lost a number of key players from last season, most notably creative midfielder Kevin Stöger, who has signed for Gladbach. Patrick Osterhage and Takuma Asano have also departed, leaving Bochum with some big shoes to fill.
The club have yet to spend a penny on the transfer market, preferring to rely on free transfers and loan deals to bring in the likes of Patrick Drewes, Dani de Wit, Samuel Bamba, Jakov Medic and Myron Boadu.
De Wit is suspended for a red card he received in the Dutch Eredivisie last season. Bernardo (knee), Kwarteng (knee), Ordets (shoulder) and Riemann (not included) are also out, while Tolba is a doubt.
Click here to see our predicted RB Leipzig vs. Bochum lineups.