RB Leipzig will welcome Hertha BSC to the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, as Round 28 of the Bundesliga continues.
The Red Bulls are currently in third place in the Bundesliga table and they are among the teams that are fighting for the four Champions League slots allotted to Germany’s top flight. With fourth-place Bayer Leverkusen just a solitary point back and fifth place Borussia Monchengladbach just two points behind, Leipzig must take advantage of winnable matches like this one.
The Red Bulls found their winning form the last time out after it seemed that their title aspirations looked dead with three straight draws including a 1-1 tie in their first match back after the coronavirus break. With the win, Leipzig not only dragged themselves back into third place but also put them right back in title contention.
Timo Warner produced a hat-trick as Julian Nagelsmann’s boys punctured five unanswered goals to Mainz’s net to pick up the 5-0 win on the road. The Red Bulls were on top of the action, controlling 66% of possession time while getting 10 shots on goal, earning a total of 4 free kicks, and were 90% correct on their passes.
With the win, RB Leipzig now has a total of 57 points which puts them just seven points back of seven-time champions Bayern Munich and just three back of second-placed Borussia Dortmund. Leipzig is one of the best offensive teams with a total of 68 games this season and they are the best defensive team with only 27 goals allowed this term.
Warner leads the team with a total of 25 goals this season and he is just three off Lewandowski for the title of top scorer in the Bundesliga. Marcel Sabitzer has nine goals while Patrik Shick has found the back of the net seven times this season. Midfielder Christopher Nkunku leads the team with 12 assists.
Bruno Labbadia has transformed Hertha BSC’s fortunes around since taking over after the exit of Jurgen Klinsmann last April. The Old Lady blew hot and cold at the start of the season but since the return of action from the coronavirus break, they have won back-to-back matches.
In their first game back, they dispatched Hoffenheim 3-0 and in their most latest outing, Hertha BSC blanked Union Berlin 4-0, giving Labbadia an aggregate 7-0 score in his first two matches, the best start if any Hertha manager since Falko Gotze. Hertha was the better team against Union Berlin with 55% of possession time. They also had 7 shots on goal, 4 corner kicks, and made 84% of the correct passes.
With their latest win, Hertha BSC is now in 11th place and safely outside the relegation zone. The Old Lady has earned a total of 34 points and is five points away from a Europa League spot. They have scored a total of 39 goals this season but have also yielded a total of 48 goals this term.
Dodi Lukebakio leads the team in scoring with a total of six goals while Vedad Ibisevic has a total of five and Dedryck Boyata has found the back of the net four times. Lukebakio also leads the team with a total of five assists while Marvin Plattenhardt has assisted four times in twelve matches played.
Konrad Laimer left the pitch in the first half of Leipzig’s match against Mainz with a knee injury and he may not be available for this contest. Ethan Ampadu, who is nursing a back injury, is also not expected to play for the Red Bulls. However, Dayot Upamecano got 60 minutes under his belt the last time out after returning from injury and is expected to start the game.
With two games in three days, the Red Bulls’ fitness will be tested here and it won’t be a surprise if Nagelmann opts to rotate and have Patrik Schick and Angelino as options to come into the side.
As for Hertha BSC, Marcus Wolf’s foot injury has healed and he is back in action. Likewise, Matthew Leckie is also back in contention while Matheus Cunha, who joined the Old Lady in January, should get the chance to show what he can do for his new squad.
Vedad Ibesivic should retain his place in the Old Lady’s attack after scoring in back to back matches, putting Krzysztof Piatek on the bench. Hertha has a poor record against Leipzig as they have dropped six out of their last seven Bundesliga matches against the Red Bulls, including the last four.
Leipzig hasn’t been defeated in their last 13 matches and they have a very formidable record against Hertha BSC. However, the Old Lady has not yielded a goal while scoring seven of their own in their two matches under Labbadia. Both these teams are coming off victories but I think that Leipzig has more talent overall. Hertha should give the third-place team a run for their money but in the end, the team which needs the win more badly takes this match.
PREDICTION: RB LEIPZIG -286
RB Leipzig has won its last four matches against Hertha BSC and they have won each game by at least a two-goal margin. Earlier this term, the Red Bulls won 4-2 when these teams met in Berlin. The last five matches between these teams have yielded over 2.5 goals and given the way Hertha has scored goals since their return from the coronavirus break, I like these teams to score more than three goals. Leipzig is one of the best scoring teams in the league this season. I like Leipzig’s spread odds of -1.5 goals at -109 but I think we’ll see more than three goals from both these squads.
PREDICTION: OVER 3.5 GOALS (-120)
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