Borussia Dortmund vs RB Leipzig preview: Unbeaten visitors travel to Westphalia
Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund were eliminated from the DFB-Pokal on Tuesday, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Wolfsburg in the second round. Despite firing off 18 shots during the match, they were still outdone, facing 16 shots from their opponents.
This loss marked Dortmund's third straight defeat across all competitions, which includes a heavy 5-2 loss to Real Madrid on October 22 and a 2-1 setback against Augsburg in their latest league outing last weekend.
Although they held 76% possession against Augsburg, the hosts managed to create only one significant chance and registered less than one expected goal (xG).
In the wake of mounting criticism, Dortmund’s sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, reassured fans that Sahin’s position as manager is secure, emphasising that it is a collective responsibility within the club to rectify their current situation.
This season, Sahin's squad has scored 15 goals and conceded 14 in the Bundesliga, ranking them as the joint fifth-best attacking team while sitting 10th in defensive performance.
On a positive note, Dortmund has an impressive home record, having won their last eight matches at Signal Iduna Park and scoring 19 goals in their five home games this season.
Team News
Sahin faces a challenging situation with several key absentees, including Almugera Kabar, who is suspended, and defender Niklas Süle.
Waldemar Anton has a chance to be included in the squad for Saturday’s match, but Jan Couto, Giovanni Reyna, and Julian Ryerson are likely to remain unavailable.
Both Felix Nmecha and Gregor Kobel suffered minor injuries against Wolfsburg and may miss the game, which could lead to Alexander Meyer starting in goal. Marcel Sabitzer and Pascal Groß are expected to form a double pivot in midfield.
Additionally, forwards Julien Duranville and Karim Adeyemi will also be absent, meaning Dortmund is likely to deploy Donyell Malen, Julian Brandt, and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens to support striker Serhou Guirassy.
RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig, one of only two unbeaten teams remaining in Germany's top flight, enters this match despite having lost all three of their Champions League games in the 2024-25 season.
Under Marco Rose's management, Leipzig advanced to the third round of the DFB-Pokal after a 4-2 victory over St. Pauli on Tuesday, where Yussuf Poulsen netted two goals in the first half, giving his team a 3-1 lead by halftime.
In their most recent league outing on October 26, Leipzig secured a 3-1 win against Freiburg. Although they fell behind early, conceding a goal within the first 15 minutes, they rallied with three goals in the second half to take all three points.
Rose expressed his pride in his players’ performance against Freiburg, describing it as incredible and a source of great satisfaction as a coach.
Heading into this clash, Leipzig has won four of their last five matches and boasts an impressive record of 13 wins, six draws, and no losses in their last 19 league games.
The visitors have also been formidable on the road, with a strong away record of seven wins and three draws in their last 10 Bundesliga matches.
Team News
RB Leipzig will be without left-back David Raum until mid-December 2024, and Xaver Schlager is unlikely to return from injury until early January 2025.
Attacker Xavi Simons and midfielder Nicolas Seiwald are also sidelined, while Forzan Assan Ouedraogo is expected to miss just a few days.
Rose may opt for a backline featuring Lutsharel Geertruida, Willi Orban, Castello Lukeba, and Benjamin Henrichs, supported by a double pivot of Amadou Haidara and Kevin Kampl to anchor the midfield.