Winless factory clubs in direct duel
And it’s business as usual after all. Every season, some clubs plan to attack FC Bayern. Among them are the red bulls from Leipzig, but after just three matchdays the sad realisation remains that there is apparently no longer a title race in the Bundesliga. The Leipzigers have completely different problems at the moment and first need a win against VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday to be able to go into the coming weeks with peace of mind.
As it stands, the Saxons are only eleventh in the Bundesliga table. Two points from three games do not even remotely meet the club’s expectations. The question is when the top-class team will finally get on track. There is already a lot of rumbling around the Red Bull Arena and the criticism will only become quieter with victories.
The situation at VfL Wolfsburg is almost identical. The Wolves are also still waiting for their first win and have only two points on their account. At the moment, Niko Kovac’s team is in 14th place.
Basically, a win is mandatory for both clubs. Perhaps the Wolves could also be reasonably satisfied with a draw, if it doesn’t come about completely happily. Both teams have not exactly convinced with exhilarating offensive football. It might make sense to place a bet on less than 2.5 goals between RB Leipzig and Wolfsburg.
RB Leipzig – Statistics & current form
First of all, the Bullen have made a poor start to the season. In addition, the search for a sporting director continues to falter. The Leipzig team can’t seem to get some players off the payroll and advisors are complaining about their clients not getting enough playing time, so there is a lot of dynamite behind the scenes. The euphoria after the DFB Cup triumph, the first title in the club’s history, seems to have faded away long ago.
The long wait for a win
However, there will probably be something to celebrate on Saturday. Peter Gulacsi will be in a Bundesliga goal for the 200th time, if he gets fit in time. Perhaps things are looking up for the record-breaking RB player, because for the first time, including the defeat in the Supercup, the Bulls have not won their first four competitive games of the season. Some might now think that the odds on a point win for the Wolves should be played in the duel RB Leipzig vs Wolfsburg.
It’s not as if the Saxons had a cracker of a programme to start off with. They only managed a draw against Stuttgart and Cologne and last weekend they lost 2-1 in the East German derby at Union Berlin. Leipzig went into the break with a 0:2 lead and Willi Orban’s late goal was not enough to bring anything home in the end.
Peter Gulacsi, Josko Gvardiol and Willi Orban all complained of adductor problems. There is still a small question mark over all three players, but the trio should be fit for action. This does not apply to Lukas Klostermann and Yusuf Poulsen, both of whom are still in hospital. Dominik Szoboszlai is also still serving a red card suspension.
Predicted line-up of RB Leipzig:
Gulacsi – Simakan, Orban, Halstenberg – Henrichs, Laimer, Kampl, Raum – Dani Olmo – Werner, Nkunku – Coach: Tedesco
Last matches played by RB Leipzig:
Bundesliga
20/08/2022 – Union Berlin 2 – 1 RB Leipzig
13/08/2022 – RB Leipzig 2 – 2 1. FC Köln
07/08/2022 – VfB Stuttgart 1 – 1 RB Leipzig
Super Cup
31/07/2022 – RB Leipzig 3 – 5 Bayern Munich
Friendly club matches
21/07/2022 – RB Leipzig 0 – 5 Liverpool FC
Wolfsburg – Statistics & current form
Besides the lack of wins, Max Kruse is the all-dominant topic around the Volkswagen Arena. The former international is only appreciated as a wild card by Niko Kovac. Jörg Schmadtke has already had to intervene in this matter. Max Kruse’s qualities are undisputed and if the slide continues with him as a benchwarmer, Niko Kovac could have a real problem as Wolves coach.
Harmless Wolves winless in the league
The Lower Saxons are also still waiting for their first win in the Bundesliga. A defeat in Leipzig would mean the worst start to a season in 21 years. The defence is reasonably secure, but almost nothing is happening up front. That should be an indication that you can make a prediction of less than 2.5 goals between RB Leipzig and Wolfsburg.
Last week, the knot was supposed to break. Schalke 04, a promoted team, was a guest at the Volkswagen Arena, but once again the Wolfsburg attackers were far too harmless. In the end, they were lucky that Koen Casteels saved a penalty shortly before the break, so that Niko Kovac’s team could at least keep a point at home.
We don’t necessarily expect the Wolves coach to change his mind and order Max Kruse into the starting eleven. Newcomer Matthias Svanberg has hardly proved to be an asset in the attacking midfield position. Jonas Wind will not be an option after his thigh injury and Yannik Gerhardt is still out after tearing his inner ligament.
Predicted Wolfsburg line-up:
Casteels – Bornauw, Lacroix, van de Ven, Paulo Otavio – Arnold, Guilavogui – Wimmer, Svanberg, Marmoush – L. Nmecha – Coach: Kovac
Last matches played by Wolfsburg:
Bundesliga
20/08/2022 – VfL Wolfsburg 0 – 0 Schalke 04
14/08/2022 – Bayern Munich 2 – 0 VfL Wolfsburg
06/08/2022 – VfL Wolfsburg 2 – 2 Werder Bremen
Club friendlies
31/07/2022 – VfL Wolfsburg 3 – 1 Hessen Kassel
DFB Cup
30/07/2022 – Carl Zeiss Jena 0 – 1 VfL Wolfsburg
RB Leipzig – Wolfsburg Direct comparison / H2H-Balance
So far, the factory teams of RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg have faced each other in a total of 18 matches. It is striking that both teams are permanent opponents in the DFB Cup, where they have already met five times. In the direct comparison, the Bullen are ahead with 8:4 wins and six draws. Especially in Leipzig, the Wolves have a very poor record.
The Saxons have been unbeaten in their own stadium against the Lower Saxons for seven games. The last encounter was also at the Red Bull Arena. In January, RasenBallsport won outright at home with 2:0, but after it was goalless for a long time. It was not until a quarter of an hour before the end that Willi Orban put his colours in front. Josko Gvardiol increased the lead to 2:0.
RB Leipzig – Wolfsburg Tip
Who will end the winless streak in the new season? That is the big question on Saturday at the Red Bull Arena. The signs are more in favour of the Bullen getting on track, as the Saxons have not lost to the Wolves for seven home games. Moreover, in the first few games they have been even more attractive than the team from Lower Saxony.
Wolfsburg are extremely harmless, especially on the offensive. They have recently failed to score twice in a row and the way Niko Kovac is playing gives little hope that this will change on Saturday.
But because Wolfsburg are hardly making an impact on the offensive and haven’t scored at all in the first half, you could think about betting HT/FT for the Saxons. We think there is a lot to be said for a home win and that is why we are playing the betting odds on a win to nil for the home side in the match between RB Leipzig and VfL Wolfsburg.
