Bayer Leverkusen will play host to RB Leipzig in Saturday’s edition of the German Bundesliga as the hosts look to nail down a top four spot this time around after narrowly missing out last term.
Leverkusen eventually had to make do with 5th place and automatic qualification for the Europa League as they were edged out by a slender two-point margin by 4th placed Moenchengladbach, but it was Leverkusen’s indifferent results in last season’s run-in that saw them blow their chances of a lucrative financial windfall.
#RBLeipzig verpflichtet den 24-jährigen Mittelstürmer Alexander #Sørloth 🤝Alex erhält bei uns die Rückennummer 1⃣9⃣ und hat einen Fünfjahresvertrag bis 2025 unterschrieben✍️👉 https://t.co/k3KLM343ab#DieRotenBullen pic.twitter.com/1eQVk5c57F— Die Roten Bullen (@DieRotenBullen) September 22, 2020
#RBLeipzig verpflichtet den 24-jährigen Mittelstürmer Alexander #Sørloth 🤝Alex erhält bei uns die Rückennummer 1⃣9⃣ und hat einen Fünfjahresvertrag bis 2025 unterschrieben✍️👉 https://t.co/k3KLM343ab#DieRotenBullen pic.twitter.com/1eQVk5c57F
The host’s final seven matches in the Bundesliga produced just three wins which were gained over Freiburg, Cologne and Mainz but defeats to Wolfsburg 4-1 and Bayern Munich 4-2 (both on home turf at their BayArena) along with a loss on the road at Hertha Berlin pretty much sealed Leverkusen’s fate and that was that.
An opening day 0-0 draw Away from home at Wolfsburg saw Bayer Leverkusen gain a useful point on the road but although they return to their BayArena for this clash, they’ve failed to beat RB Leipzig in each of the previous four meetings at home.
Onto RB Leipzig and the visitors finished in 3rd place at the end of last season’s Bundesliga campaign but they nevertheless grabbed one of the top four positions which ensures Champions League football this season for them.
Results overall were very consistent for Leipzig who suffered just two defeats both home and away throughout the whole of last season’s campaign, and they finished their season in strong form as they lost just one of their final 15 matches overall.
It was this sustained sequence of results which assured RB Leipzig’s qualification for their top four finish and the lucrative Champions League.
Particularly pleasing for Leipzig manager, Julian Nagelsmann, was the fact that his side won their last four away matches on the trot which included victories on the road at Mainz 5-0, Cologne 4-2, Hoffenheim 2-0 and Augsburg 2-1 and although they’ve since lost last season’s leading goalscorer, Timo Werner, to Chelsea, but the likes of forwards, Forsberg and Poulsen, will get their chance up front this term.
Bayer Leverkusen will be keen to finish in the top four this term but they’ve had difficulties against RB Leipzig in previous exchanges and this Saturday may be no exception.