RB Leipzig vs. Gladbach preview: Die Fohlen see Eberl and Rose once again
It’s Gladbach’s first trip to Leipzig since Max Eberl controversially became the Red Bull club’s managing director for sport, as Marco Rose will also face his former team.
RB Leipzig
Leipzig are coming off a disappointing loss to BVB and must avoid looking ahead to their enticing Champions League second leg against Manchester City on Tuesday. It’s still an extremely important matchup on Saturday with trainer Marco Rose and director Max Eberl facing their old club.
Leipzig are expected to secure a spot the top four as the season winds down, but they have some work to do with Freiburg tied on points. The Red Bull club are dealing with a host of injury concerns, including star Christopher Nkunku, who is likely out until the international break.
Rose said, “(Gladbach) are a strong side with individual quality and a clear style of playing which is based on possession. They have a lot of quality in attack. But they also know what we're capable of and that we're in good form."
Team News
Xaver Schlager is out following knee surgery, while Peter Gulacsi and Abdou Diallo still aren’t ready to return. Nkunku is also unavailable for several weeks and Dani Olmo is questionable after being seen back in team training. Lukas Klostermann should play after recovering from a sickness.
The likes of Laimer, Silva, Szoboszlai and Werner have been sick this week, but they should all suit up.
Gladbach
It’s been a head-scratching season for Gladbach supporters, who seem to become more confused by their side’s play as the season wears on. They’ve won just once in the last five league meetings, where Gladbach of course only defeated the record champions of Bayern.
Luckily, the big three up front of Hofmann, Plea and Thuram are fully fit and ready to go. But, 10th-place Gladbach have concerningly claimed three points in just one of their last 13 away trips (against lowly Hoffenheim).
Danel Farke commented, "Leipzig are having a solid season under Marco Rose, are very strong at home and have real quality in their ranks. It's one of the toughest matches in the league, but we will take on the challenge. We will need to have a good day if we want to get a result."
Team News
Goalkeepers Jonas Omlin and Jan Olschowsky aren’t available, which means another start for Tobias Sippel. Julian Weigl and Tony Jantschke remain out, while Nico Elvedi and Chris Kramer are questionable.
Ramy Bensebaini will begin serving his two-game suspension this weekend after his red card against Freiburg. This means Luca Netz is expected to start in his place.
