Borussia Dortmund retain their hopes of challenging Bayern Munich for the title, but they must overcome top-four chasing RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena.

Ole Werner will have a hard look at things and how they have gone wrong for them this season. Having commenced the campaign with seven wins from nine games, it looked like RB Leipzig might challenge for the title, but their objectives have since changed to a top-four race ahead of the game against Borussia Dortmund.

Even there they are struggling for relevance, having won only three of their last nine games in the league. Last weekend’s comeback draw against a struggling Wolfsburg side is a testament to their lack of consistent form, while they have also earned only 4 points from their last 5 home games at the Red Bull Arena.

Overall, Werner needs to instill a winning mentality into this team to at least cement their place as a top-four favourite moving forward. As they are preparing to host Borussia Dortmund in this weekend’s blockbuster clash in the Bundesliga, Leipzig will at least hope their continue their stellar form continues against the visitors, against whom they have 4 wins in their last 6 games.

Niko Kovac will want continuity in form as Borussia Dortmund are on a 15-game unbeaten run. They also have one foot into the Champions League round of 16, following an impressive 2-0 win over Atalanta in their first-leg playoff encounter in midweek.

Dortmund are on a six-game winning run in the Bundesliga and are only two away from matching their club record, as Kovac will at least want to keep the six-point gap behind leaders Bayern Munich. Should Dortmund continue on their impressive form and stay within touching distance of the Bavarians, there is every chance they could still compete for the title, while cementing their place in next season’s Champions League.

Kovac’s side have had an incredible month so far in February, winning four in a row while scoring 11 goals in the process and keeping two clean sheets, as the manager would want this run to continue when they meet RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena.

Team News & Tactics

RB Leipzig

Ole Werner will be without first-choice keeper Peter Gulacsi for this encounter as the stopper deals with a knee issue. Assan Ouedraogo and Suleman Sani are also missing from action, while young defensive talent Kosta Nedeljkovic has a back problem to deal with, which could see him miss out, too.

Werner is not expected to name an unfamiliar lineup, as he does have most of his regulars fit and available. Key among those is Yan Diomande, with the winger managing to put in impressive performances despite the team’s struggles on the pitch.

Winter arrival Brajan Gruda will continue to take up a midfield role, while Nicolas Seiwald and Christoph Baumgartner will feature alongside the Brighton loanee in central midfield. Antonio Nusa will take up the left wing role for this clash, while Diomande will keep his spot on the right, as Romulo will lead the line for Leipzig.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Vandevoort; Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum; Seiwald, Gruda, Baumgartner; Diomande, Romulo, Nusa

Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund are also without a few of their key stars, including Nico Schlotterbeck. The defender has reportedly recovered from an injury that saw him miss games, but Niko Kovac might resort to caution and not risk his key centre-back, even though the German international does make the team better.

Emre Can remains out with an adductor problem, while Niklas Sule is also on the sidelines. There are further injury issues with the likes of Filippo Mane and Mussa Kaba, with the duo also set to be out of the equation for the weekend. Kovac will continue with a back three, as Ramy Bensebaini will probably remain a part of the back three alongside Anton and Luca Reggiani.

Felix Nmecha and Marcel Sabitzer should control the midfield setup, with Jobe Bellingham likely to be an option on the bench. Daniel Svensson will continue in the left wing-back role while Julian Ryerson is pencilled in to start on the right flank.

Serhou Guirassy will continue to lead the line for Borussia Dortmund against RB Leipzig following his goal in midweek, while Maximilian Beier will be preferred to Karim Adeyemi and will be joined by Julian Brandt in the attacking third.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Kobel; Reggiani, Anton, Bensebaini; Ryerson, Nmecha, Sabitzer, Svensson; Beier, Brandt; Guirassy

Key Stats

• RB Leipzig have collected just four points from their last five home games in the Bundesliga.
• RB Leipzig have won three times in their last nine games in the Bundesliga.
• Borussia Dortmund have won their last six matches in the Bundesliga.
• Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten in their last 15 matches.

Player to Watch

Yan Diomande

Embed from Getty Images

Diomande has been a revelation in the Bundesliga and a big testament to RB Leipzig’s ability to spot the best talents out there. The young Ivorian winger has four goal contributions in his last five Bundesliga matches, which took his league tally to eight goals and five assists.

Werner will look forward to Diomande putting in another top performance, especially against an opponent that Leipzig have a favourable recent record against. He will be the man in focus for the hosts, and they will look to cement their status as one of the favourites for the top four.

Prediction

RB Leipzig 1-2 Borussia Dortmund

These are two teams fighting different objectives as the season has gone by, and Leipzig will be the one under pressure to deliver, owing to this game being played at the Red Bull Arena. With a top-four place at stake, Ole Werner will want his side to continue their impressive record against Dortmund, but this could be a difficult task overall.

Borussia Dortmund are on a tremendous six-game winning streak in the Bundesliga, and Niko Kovac will want a seventh in his bag at the end of Saturday. On form, the visitors are the favourites to take three points and keep their close distance with leaders Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga standings.