RB Leipzig v Bielefeld preview
Can Bielefeld upset the odds at the Red Bull arena?
Arminia Bielefeld face an uphill task against a rejuvenated Leipzig side on Saturday. However, 'die Arminen' travel with confidence after a much needed win against Bochum on Tuesday.
The win lifted Bielefeld to within 4 points of Stuttgart and Augsburg, albeit still languishing in 17th position on 13 points. Their form has definitely picked up of late. Only a second half Leroy Sane strike saw them leave Bavaria empty- handed. And they have also earned home draws against Koln and Wolfsburg recently.
Midfielder Patrick Wimmer produced an outstanding performance for Frank Kramer's side in midweek. His goal, and that of top scorer Masaya Okugawa, won a valuable 3 points. They will also look for contributions from strikers Janni Serra and Florian Kruger if they are to produce a result. However the bad news is they have earned just 5 points on their travels this season.
The reign of new RB Leipzig coach Domenico Tedesco began superbly. A thumping 4-1 defeat of Gladbach proved what this team are capable of. It had all turned stale under American Jesse Marsch, and a change was inevitable. However, a disappointing draw against a struggling Augsburg on Wednesday has slightly dampened optimism.
That game saw star striker Andre Silva bag his 5th goal in his last 6 games. He is now finally living up to the huge reputation that he garnered at Frankfurt. Emil Forsberg has also started both games under the new coach. He was the playmaker favoured by Tedesco in a 3-4-1-2 formation. The supremely talented Dominic Szoboszlai is also an option. Christopher Nkunku has had an outstanding season in a struggling side. He has scored, assisted or both in 9 of the last 11 Bundesliga games. Leipzig also beat Bielefeld twice last season, winning 2-1 at the Red Bull Arena.