Hoffenheim vs. RB Leipzig preview: Visitors looking to continue unbeaten run
After avoiding defeat in their last 10 games in all competitions, RB Leipzig will attempt to continue their impressive run of form when they face Hoffenheim on Saturday.
| Photo: Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Hoffenheim
After experiencing an underwhelming run of results, Hoffenheim will be looking to rediscover their early season form on Saturday. They began the campaign with four wins from their opening six league games, but they have won only one of their last six matches in the Bundesliga.
In their most recent encounter, Hoffenheim had to settle for a point after playing out a 1-1 away draw with FC Köln. André Breitenreiter's side fell behind in the 13th minute when Florian Kainz gave Köln the lead, but Jacob Bruun Larsen managed to restore parity before half time. With neither side able to the winner in the second half, Hoffenheim had to be content with sharing the spoils.
The hosts are currently in seventh place, and they head into the weekend one point behind their opponents, while four points separate them from the top four. As they attempt to move above Leipzig in the table, Hoffenheim will be looking to end a three-game winless home run in the Bundesliga.
Team News
Fisnik Asllani and Benjamin Hübner are both sidelined due to ankle problems, while Hoffenheim are also without the services of Ihlas Bebou, Mu'nas Dabbur and
Luca Philipp due to injuries issues. Meanwhile, Ozan Kabak will serve a one-match suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
RB Leipzig
Leipzig will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run to 11 matches in all competitions, while they also have the chance to record a fourth consecutive victory.
Marco Rose's side sealed their place in the Champions League knockout stage with a commanding victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek. Strikes from Christopher Nkunku, André Silva and Dominik Szoboszlai as well as a Valerri Bondar own goal secured Leipzig a 4-0 win.
Leipzig will now turn their attention back to the Bundesliga where they currently occupy sixth position.
Although they have avoided defeat in their previous five league games, Leipzig are still waiting for their first away win of the Bundesliga season. After conceding 14 goals in their six away matches, Leipzig know that an improved defensive performance could help them secure all three points.
Team News
Timo Werner sustained an ankle injury in the midweek win over Shakhtar, and as a result, he has been ruled out of the World Cup. Leipzig are also unable to call upon Konrad Laimer, Lukas Klostermann and Peter Gulacsi, while Benjamin Hendrichs is suspended.