Is City showing an act of defiance after the league debacle?
Long have Leipzig waited for this, now it’s here. RB Leipzig continue their Champions League adventure against Manchester City on Wednesday evening and even benefit from home advantage in the round of 16 first leg. In the dress rehearsal before the showdown with the Citizens, the Bullen celebrated a 3-0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg last weekend.
City, on the other hand, fluffed their dress rehearsal in the Premier League. The Citizens only picked up a point against Nottingham and thus squandered the momentum after their win against the Gunners during the week. The next setback may now be looming in Leipzig. In case of success for the German representative, there are betting odds of up to 4.50 for a RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City tip on the Bulls.
The last time RB Leipzig faced Manchester City in front of a home crowd, it was a 2-1 win for RBL. It was the only defeat Manchester City have conceded in their last 17 competitive matches against German teams.
If England’s recent run of form on foreign soil is anything to go by, a prediction on the Bulls cannot be ruled out this time either between RB Leipzig vs Manchester City. The Citizens have won only one of their last five away games. It’s possible that City’s negative trend will continue at RBL as well.
RB Leipzig – Statistics & current form
RB Leipzig go into the knockout stage of the 2022/23 Champions League as underdogs, as expected. Although the German representatives are currently in top form, the best bookmakers do not trust the Bulls to pull off the surprise coup. For RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City, betting odds of more than 4.00 are offered for the hosts from Leipzig.
The Leipzigers have been building up their self-confidence in the Bundesliga ahead of the crucial first leg against the Citizens and celebrated a 3-0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg in the dress rehearsal before the top flight. A week after the bitter home defeat against Union Berlin, the latest league success was a balm for the Bullen’s soul.
RB Leipzig’s defensive performance was particularly praiseworthy. The clean sheet against Wolfsburg was the tenth time this season that RB has not conceded a goal in a competition. Against City, it is nevertheless risky to bet on a clean sheet for the Bulls. After all, none of RB’s recent opponents have had the attacking calibre of the Citizens.
Will the winning streak in the CL be extended?
Encouragingly, ahead of the CL clash against the English, the recent winning streak in the top flight. The Saxons have won their last four matches in the Champions League under head coach Marco Rose. Within the club, only current FCB coach Julian Nagelsmann, as a former RBL coach, has won more matches in a row (6) in the top flight.
At home, it would be the second home win in a row for Leipzig against City. The last time the Himmelblauen from City were guests in Leipzig, there was a 2:1 victory for the RBL. At that time, however, the Sky Blues were already safely qualified for the next round.
Head coach Marco Rose can also call on his attacking jewel Nkunku for Wednesday’s match against the Citizens. The 25-year-old has been missing recently due to a long-term injury, but already celebrated his brief comeback against Wolfsburg. It is quite possible that Nkunku will even be in the starting eleven and perhaps be able to help the team for 45-60 minutes.
Last matches of RB Leipzig:
Bundesliga
18/02/2023 – VfL Wolfsburg 0 – 3 RB Leipzig
12/02/2023 – RB Leipzig 1 – 2 Union Berlin
04/02/2023 – 1. FC Köln 0 – 0 RB Leipzig
DFB Cup
01/02/2023 – RB Leipzig 3 – 1 Hoffenheim
Bundesliga
28/01/2023 – RB Leipzig 2 – 1 VfB Stuttgart
Manchester City – Statistics & current form
Manchester City are out for frustration in the top flight. After the bitter draw in the English top flight, the Himmelblauen had to say goodbye to the top of the Premier League table again recently. Championship rivals Arsenal seized the opportunity and overtook the Citizens again with a win at Aston Villa.
Bitterly, just days before the draw at Nottingham Forest, Manchester City celebrated a 3-1 win at the Gunners. Before the championship race continues on the island, the focus is now on the encounter in Leipzig. City will build on their strong record against German teams.
In their last 17 competitive games against clubs from the German Bundesliga, the Sky Blues have a record of 14-2-1, with the only defeat coming against upcoming opponents RBL. It was also one of the few defeats City have conceded in the top flight under Pep Guardiola’s stewardship.
Does Pep extend his impressive winning record in the CL?
In the Champions League, Pep Guardiola has an impressive 63% win rate as a coach so far. Against RB Leipzig, the Spaniard is hoping to increase this rate, especially with the offensive power of his team. With players like Haaland & Co., the reigning English champions have a concentrated attack.
In the Premier League, that attacking department has already caused a sensation with 60 goals in 24 league games. Of those 60 goals, 26 were scored by star striker Haaland, who also leads the scoring charts in the English top flight. It is quite possible that the Norwegian will also back up his strong odds in the Champions League and score at least once against RBL.
Bets on this have real value. Pep Guardiola has no major personnel worries to complain about for the upcoming encounter in Leipzig and will possibly approach the round of 16 in the top flight with a similar starting eleven as he did for the league match against Nottingham Forest.
Last games of Manchester City:
Premier League
18/02/2023 – Nottingham Forest 1 – 1 Manchester City
16/02/2023 – Arsenal FC 1 – 3 Manchester City
12/02/2023 – Manchester City 3 – 1 Aston Villa
05/02/2023 – Tottenham 1 – 0 Manchester City
FA Cup
28/01/2023 – Manchester City 1 – 0 FC Arsenal
RB Leipzig – Manchester City Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
RB Leipzig and Manchester City meet for the third time in their club history. In the 2021/22 season, the two clubs met for the first time in the Champions League. The Citizens were able to beat the RBL 6:3 in the first leg.Nkunku scored three times. The Bullen, on the other hand, won the second leg 2-1 at their own stadium.
RB Leipzig – Manchester City Tip
For Leipzig, Wednesday’s match against Manchester City is of immense importance. In front of a home crowd, the central city side will be looking to set the course for the quarter-finals, with some betting on the H2h against the Citizens. The last time City played at the RB Arena, the Saxons won 2-1.
Considering how weak City have been on foreign soil in recent league games, the Leipzigers can be expected to spring a surprise this time as well. Bets on a coup by the Saxons – especially after the strong performance against VfL Wolfsburg – are definitely worthwhile and are recommended for risk-averse bettors.
We decide to bet on over 2.5 goals in the match between RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City. Both clubs have the necessary offensive power to deliver a scoring feast on Wednesday night. Especially the Citizens’ offence around star striker Erling Haaland. For our prediction of more than 2.5 goals in the match we use six units
