RB Leipzig will hope to continue closing the gap to the Bundesliga‘s Champions League spots when they travel to Volkswagen Arena on Friday to take on Wolfsburg.
The home side are in 12th place with 38 points following their 1-0 defeat against Union Berlin on April 6, while fifth-placed Leipzig beat Hoffenheim 3-1 last Saturday and have 45 points, meaning they are one place and one point from the final Champions League qualification spot.
Match preview
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Wolfsburg defended well for most of their match against Union – more than half of the 1.19 xG they faced was produced during in the second minute – and they would have taken a point had Kevin Behrens not missed from less than a yard out one minute from time.
The Wolves have now failed to score for three consecutive games, and they have also conceded one goal in each of their past eight outings.
Boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has twice led his side out against Leipzig this term, winning 5-1 in the league on November 30 but losing 1-0 in the DFB-Pokal on February 26, but it should be noted that his team have won four of their last six clashes against the visitors.
Wolfsburg have succumbed to defeat in their three most recent fixtures and in fact failed to win seven of their previous nine, drawing on five occasions.
The hosts are also winless in five home matches, though they only lost one game in that time and triumphed in five of their prior seven at Volkswagen Arena.
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As for Leipzig, they benefitted hugely from the fact Hoffenheim were reduced to 10 men in the 11th minute when the score was 1-1, though interim boss Zsolt Low should still be praised for earning his first win since taking over from Marco Rose in late March.
Die Roten Bullen scored three goals for the first time in 14 matches, but their overall return of 44 goals in the top flight makes them the second worst offensive team in the top 10.
Low’s side are only one point from fourth-placed Mainz 05 and three points from third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, but just three points separate them from seventh-placed Freiburg, and European qualification is by no means guaranteed with just six matchweeks remaining.
The visitors’ showings in recent weeks have been mixed considering they have lost two and won two of their past four, scoring six and conceding five.
Leipzig’s away record is alarming given they failed to win any of their last nine matches away from home – suffering five defeats – and they also only achieved one victory in their previous five outings on the road, losing four times.
Team News
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Wolfsburg will be without several players, with the likes of Denis Vavro, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Konstantinos Koulierakis set to be absent from defence, while goalkeeper Niklas Klinger will also play no part.
Hasenhuttl utilised a back three in his side’s match against Union, and Kilian Fischer, David Odogu, Yannick Gerhardt may retain their places in front of goalkeeper Kamil Grabara.
Given that midfielder Mattias Svanberg has been ruled out, perhaps Aster Vranckx and Maximilian Arnold will be chosen to play together.
With Bartosz Bialek and Lovro Majer not available due to injury, the hosts may field Jonas Wind and Patrick Wimmer in support of striker Mohamed El Amine Amoura.
Meanwhile, Leipzig will have to contend with the absence of left-back Benjamin Henrichs, making David Raum likely to feature alongside defenders Kosta Nedeljkovic, Willi Orban and Castello Lukeba.
Arthur Vermeeren and Nicolas Seiwald could start in a double pivot given midfielders Forzan Assan Ouedraogo and Xaver Schlager are set to miss out.
Xavi Simons and Ridle Baku are candidates to flank strikers Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda considering wide attacker Antonio Nusa will not be involved in Friday’s clash.
Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Grabara; Fischer, Odogu, Gerhardt; Kaminski, Vranckx, Arnold, Maehle; Wind, Wimmer; Amoura
RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Gulacsi; Nedeljkovic, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Baku, Vermeeren, Seiwald, Xavi; Sesko, Openda
We say: Wolfsburg 1-1 RB Leipzig
Wolfsburg have been poor in front of goal and have found wins difficult to come by, and their struggles in the final third could cost them their chance of victory.
While Leipzig will be confident following their morale-boosting win against Hoffenheim, they have been subpar away from home and may fail to take all three points.
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