Vfl Bochum – RB Leipzig
The Bundesliga is slowly entering the hot phase. The 24th matchday is already upon us and there are once again some exciting games this weekend. On Saturday afternoon, VfL Bochum will host the Red Bulls from Leipzig. Find out who has the better cards in this game and who will come away empty-handed in our Bochum – Leipzig betting tip.
Bochum, like all teams in the bottom half of the table, are in a relegation battle and must try to keep their distance from the relegation places. Last weekend, they suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat against direct rivals Mönchengladbach and Bochum are under pressure to get something worthwhile against Leipzig.
Leipzig, on the other hand, are at the other end of the table and are fighting for a place in the Champions League. Last weekend, they lost out to Bayern by the narrow margin of 1-2. As a result, they failed to take advantage of BVB’s slip-up and move into a qualifying place for the top flight. A win is needed against Bochum to ensure they don’t lose touch
Bochum – Leipzig info
- Date & Time: 02.03.2024, 15:30 hrs.
- Playing venue: Vonovia Ruhrstadion, Bochum
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 24
Bochum Form & Balance Check
After VfL surprisingly defeated the record champions from Munich 3:2 on the penultimate matchday, the team was brought back down to earth on the final matchday. Coach Thomas Letsch’s team went down without a chance in Gladbach. The team picked up five points from the last five games and now has a total of 25 points.
That means 15th place in the table, eight points ahead of the relegation places. The difference to the direct relegation places is ten points. Bochum therefore still have a small cushion, but must make sure they consolidate it to avoid making the final stretch of the season unnecessarily tense
Hofman finally scores
One small consolation for Bochum in their latest defeat was that at least striker Philipp Hofmann scored for the first time in a long time. He scored with a powerful left-footed shot to make it 1:3 and finally end his long slump of 1383 minutes without a goal.
The striker last scored on matchday 27 of the pre-season and has not been more than a substitute in recent games. Now the knot seems to have burst and Bochum can hope that the striker will score one or two more goals in the remaining weeks of the season in order to stay safely in League One in the end
Bochum facts & analysis
- Place 15 in the table
- Last game lost
- Only one defeat from the last four games
Leipzig Form & Balance Check
Leipzig almost managed to score at Bayern last weekend, but conceded a goal in stoppage time to lose 2-1. Bitter, because with a point they would have drawn level with BVB. As it stands, coach Marco Rose’s team are still one point behind Dortmund with seven points from their last five games.
The battle for the Champions League places is in full swing and RB are currently still in the chasing pack. It seems to be heading towards a duel with BVB in the end, as Stuttgart in third place is already seven points away
Only mediocre in the second half of the season
Leipzig’s start to the new year can undoubtedly be described as a false start. The Red Bulls have yet to get off to a good start in the second half of the season, winning just two of their six games. The Saxons are therefore only in mid-table in the second half of the season and are in danger of missing out on qualification for the Champions League.
It is striking that Leipzig have not yet managed an away win in 2024. That should change against Bochum and they should finally celebrate their first success away from home this year. Leipzig are also lacking defensively and have already conceded twelve goals since the second half of the season
Leipzig facts & analysis
- Fifth place in the table
- Last game lost
- Second-worst defense of the second half of the season
Bochum play in a 4-3-3 with regular goalkeeper Manuel Riemann suspended due to his 5th yellow card and will probably be replaced by Andreas Luthe. In defensive midfield, the previously suspended Anthony Losilla will return to the starting line-up. We do not expect any changes in attack. Lukas Daschner and Philipp Förster are options from the bench.
Leipzig will play in a 4-4-2 system. Goalkeeper Peter Gulásci was still slightly injured during the week, but will most likely be in goal. In midfield, Xaver Schlager is suspended. We expect Kevin Kampl to replace him in the six. In attack, Benjamin Šeško should be preferred to Yussuf Poulsen, also due to his goal last weekend
Bochum – Leipzig head-to-head & stats
Bochum and Leipzig have faced each other ten times in their club history. Leipzig have won significantly more often, coming away victorious eight times. Bochum’s first and only victory was on matchday 25 of the previous season.
The teams drew goalless 0-0 in the first leg of that season, with Bochum only managing to score a total of three goals against Leipzig. The first clash took place in 2014. Leipzig won 2:0 in the second division encounter at the time.
Direct comparison (H2H)
