RB Leipzig are set to host Augsburg at Red Bull Arena on Saturday in each side's fifth Bundesliga game of the season. The home team are unbeaten after four games and are in fifth place with eight points, while the visitors have been plagued by inconsistency during their campaign so far and are in 12th place with four points.
After a strong start to the season in which Leipzig won their first two Bundesliga games and ended Bayer Leverkusen's 35-game unbeaten league run with a 3-2 victory on August 31, they have drawn their last two domestic matches 0-0. Their most recent stalemate was against newly-promoted St Pauli on September 22, and fans will have been concerned that it was their opponents who looked more threatening given they produced 15 shots from inside the penalty area compared to Die Roten Bullen's eight. Between these two draws, Leipzig also lost their first champions league match 2-1 against Atletico Madrid thanks to a 90th-minute winner from Jose Gimenez.
Of the 18 teams in the top flight, Marco Rose's side rank 14th for xG created, 14th for shots on target per match and just 15th for big chances created. Rose spoke about his team's recent struggles in front of goal and said that his side are not asserting themselves in games, but he reassured fans that he is capable of addressing the issue.
Leipzig's record at Red Bull Arena has been strong for some time, with the club winning 16, drawing five and losing just two games at home in their last 23 league fixtures. It should be noted that they have drawn three of their last six Bundesliga matches at home, although they did win the other three and only conceded twice in that period.
Meanwhile, Augsburg come into the clash having lost 3-2 last time out against Mainz 05 on September 20. Mainz had taken a 2-0 lead after just 15 minutes but despite Augsburg halving the deficit and having a player advantage from the 35th minute until the 70th minute, Mainz went on to make it 3-1 shortly after half time. Fuggerstadter boss Jess Thorup spoke to the press ahead of his side's match against Leipzig, and rather than singling out the defence for conceding 10 goals in four league games, he argued that the entire team needs to defend better.
At the other end of the pitch, Thorup's side have scored seven goals, created the seventh most xG and the fifth most big chances, but they have also missed the fourth most big chances. Though some of their underlying metrics are positive, Augsburg have been in poor form in terms of results and have lost seven of their last nine Bundesliga matches, with their only win coming against St Pauli on September 15.
Team News
The hosts will be without Xaver Schlager until January after suffering a crucial ligament injury. Rose will also be unable to select midfielders Forzan Assan Ouedraogo and Kevin Kampl until the middle of October, whilst Eljif Elmas has also picked up a knock and is likely to miss a few days.
Lois Openda could only make a substitute appearance against St. Pauli as a result of his exploits in the Champions League, but he can be expected to start up front alongside Benjamin Sesko this weekend.
Augsburg enter the upcoming match following a 3-2 defeat to Mainz 05 last time out. Mainz quickly gained a 2-0 lead within the first 15 minutes. Although Augsburg reduced the deficit and had a numerical advantage from the 35th to the 70th minute, Mainz extended their lead to 3-1 shortly after halftime.
Ahead of the clash with Leipzig, Augsburg manager Jess Thorup addressed the press, emphasizing that the whole team must improve defensively, rather than focusing solely on the backline, which has conceded 10 goals in four league games.
Attacking-wise, Augsburg have netted seven goals, ranked seventh in xG, and created the fifth most big chances. However, they have also squandered the fourth-best big chances. Despite some encouraging underlying stats, Augsburg's recent form has been poor, losing seven of their last nine Bundesliga games, with their only win coming against St. Pauli on September 15.
Team News
Striker Samuel Essende was shown a red card in the last match and is suspended for the upcoming game. Meanwhile, Robert Gumny and Daniel Klein are sidelined with injuries, and expected to return in December and October, respectively.
In other news, Augsburg's Reece Oxford has tested positive for COVID-19 and is doubtful to play, though Masaya Okugawa could make a comeback if he recovers from illness in time for Saturday's match.
Phillip Tietz is likely to lead the attack in Essende's absence, potentially with support from Elvis Rexhbecaj and Ruben Vargas.
Probable Lineups
RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:Gulacsi; Geertruida, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Baumgartner, Haidara, Seiwald, Simons; Sesko. Openda
Augsburg possible starting lineup:Labrovic; Bauer, Gouweleeuw, Schlotterbeck; Wolf, Onyeka, Jakic, Giannoulis; Rexhbecaj, Vargas; Tietz
Prediction
While Leipzig have been poor in front of goal this season, it would be surprising if they failed to score for a third consecutive league match. Considering Augsburg's worrying top-flight record recently, they could struggle to get back into the game if the hosts were to score first. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
