RB Leipzig – Borussia Dortmund
This Saturday evening, a crucial duel will take place at the Red Bull Arena: RB Leipzig will host Borussia Dortmund on matchday 26 of the Bundesliga. Both teams are fighting for important points to keep the fight for international places alive. Leipzig are in 6th place with 39 points, two points behind SC Freiburg. Although coach Niko Kovac is facing criticism after the 0-1 defeat in Augsburg, he was able to gain new self-confidence with the recent 2-1 victory in Lille in the Champions League.
RB Leipzig – BVB Info
- Stadium: Red Bull Arena, Leipzig
- Date and Time: 03/15/2025, 6:30 PM
- Competition: Bundesliga
- Broadcast: Sky
RB Leipzig Form & Bilanz Check
The current form of RB Leipzig remains a problem child. After the goalless 0-0 draw in Freiburg, Marco Rose’s team still sits in 6th place with 39 points – two points behind Freiburg and just one point ahead of VfL Wolfsburg. In the last five league games, there was one win, three draws and one defeat, which particularly highlights the goal drought: two goalless games within a few weeks, plus a 2-1 home defeat to Mainz. The offense around Šeško and Openda seems unusually toothless. In the first half as well as in the second half, Leipzig remains under 1.5 goals in 80% of its games – not a good sign.
One ray of hope is the return of Xaver Schlager, who rejoined the team training after an injury absence of 64 days. Without him, the Saxons noticeably scored fewer points per game. Sports director Marcel Schäfer made it clear that coach Rose is in the saddle, but emphasized the need for an increase in performance. A gastrointestinal virus is also affecting the team: Christoph Baumgartner and Lukas Klostermann were missing before the Freiburg game, while Kevin Kampl was weakened in the game. The upcoming home game against Dortmund could therefore be a yardstick.
In front of them, there will likely be a double six made up of Haidara and Baku, with Xaver Schlager remaining on the bench for the time being after his knee injury. However, a brief appearance seems conceivable.
In the attacking line of three, Simons, Vermeeren and Openda are likely to line up behind center forward Šeško. Marco Rose will continue to be without Benjamin Henrichs (Achilles tendon), Assan Ouédraogo and Antonio Nusa (both knee problems). Baumgartner and Klostermann are fit again after their gastrointestinal complaints.
BVB Form & Balance Check
Borussia Dortmund is currently experiencing mixed emotions. After a furious 6-0 win against Union Berlin and a 2-0 win at St. Pauli, setbacks followed: the 1-1 draw in the Champions League first leg against Lille and, shortly afterwards, the bitter 1-0 home defeat against Augsburg. The team has often appeared short on ideas and physically affected in the Bundesliga recently, which increasingly put coach Niko Kovac under pressure to explain himself.
The 2-1 win in Lille therefore came at just the right time. After falling behind early, BVB turned the game around thanks to goals from Can and Beier. Even if success in the Champions League helps to boost morale, the team is treading water in the Bundesliga, where it has a meager 35 points and only occupies 10th place. The weak start to matches remains noticeable: in 80% of the last five games, there were fewer than two goals in the first half, while Dortmund at least scored once in four games. Top scorer Serhou Guirassy, who set up Beier’s decisive goal in Lille, is a central hope for more consistency.
In view of the important Champions League second leg against Lille, Niko Kovac is also likely to stick with a 4-2-3-1 system. Kobel will be in goal, while an experienced axis could form around Anton and Schlotterbeck in the defensive center. The midfield duo of Sabitzer and Groß should provide stability, while Brandt acts as playmaker. Up front, hopes rest on top scorer Guirassy, on whom Kovac is placing particular emphasis after the disappointing 1-0 defeat to Augsburg.
Nmecha (ligament injury) and Svensson (torn inner ligament) are out through injury. Lotka, Mané and Campbell remain on the sidelines. Kovac can at least call on Reyna and Duranville from the bench should attacking momentum be needed.
In the direct duels, the advantages lie slightly with RB Leipzig: in the last five meetings, the Saxons emerged as winners three times, Dortmund twice. It is striking that there has never been a draw. The last meeting in November 2024 ended with a 2-1 victory for BVB, interrupting a small streak for Leipzig, who had previously come out on top in the second half four times.
These encounters have generally been high-scoring affairs, with all five meetings seeing at least two goals and four of them featuring three or more. The first half in particular has often been rich in goals, with more than 1.5 scored before the break in 80% of cases. While Dortmund have always conceded at least once, Leipzig have not kept a clean sheet in four of the last five meetings.
