RB Leipzig vs Bochum Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 German Bundesliga
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Although they successfully secured a top-four finish last season, RB Leipzig will be hoping for a more sustained title challenge this time around, whilst Bochum fans are likely still recovering from their side’s dramatic relegation play-off triumph.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday August 24th 2024: UK – 2:30pm / US ET – 9:30am / US PT – 6:30am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Sky Sports / US – Some matches will be televised on ESPN channels so it is worth checking their schedules
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Cannot be streamed / US – ESPN+
RB LEIPZIG PREVIEW: OLMO GONE BUT LEIPZIG LOOK STRONG ON PAPER
Head coach Marco Rose has been retained by RB Leipzig, whose hierarchy may be content with Champions League qualification last season but will want a significantly stronger push for the Meisterschale in this campaign after watching the likes of Bayer Leverkusen and Stuttgart finish above them in 2023-24.
Whilst Leipzig have since lost Dani Olmo to Barcelona, they pulled off a significant coup in bringing back Xavi Simons from PSG on another loan deal. Permanent transfers have also been made with the likes of Antonio Nusa, Assan Ouedraogo and Maarten Vandevoordt all joining the club.
BOCHUM PREVIEW: BOCHUM AIMING TO BUILD ON HOUDINI ACT
Bochum are no doubt pinning their hopes on a new head coach triggering a new start and change of fortunes for a club that were a penalty-shoot-out defeat away from being relegated to 2. Bundesliga back in May. But coming back from a three-goal aggregate deficit against Fortuna Dusseldorf to ultimately emerge victories on penalties across the two-legged must at least have generated some much-needed momentum into the club.
Peter Zeidler has been handed the reigns at Bochum and his aim is no doubt for the side to vastly improve on their total of just 33 points accumulated last season. That led to them finishing in 16th-place and failure to do better will likely see Bochum drop on this occasion.
RB LEIPZIG TEAM NEWS: SIMONS SET TO START, BUT NO DEBUT FOR OUEDRAOGO
Assan Ouedraogo, the new €10m signing from Schalke 04 will have to wait to make his first appearance for his new club due to a knee injury. However, Xavi Simons should start following his return with Openda and Sesko up front.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-2-2): Gulacsi; Klostermann, Simakan, Orban, Raum; Haidara, Seiwald; Kampl, Xavi Simons; Openda, Sesko
UNAVAILABLE: Ouedraogo (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Baumgartner (Injured), Bitshiabu (Injured), Elmas (Injured), Schlager (Injured)
BOCHUM TEAM NEWS: BERNARDO, KWARTENG AND ORDETS ALL MISSING
Bochum’s new head coach won’t be able to call upon Bernardo, Moritz-Broni Kwarteng or Ivan Ordets, all of whom are injured. Expect a three-pronged central midfield with a strike partnership that includes the dangerous Philipp Hofmann.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-1-2): Drewes; Passlack, Oermann, Masovic, Wittek; Losilla, Sissoko, Bero; Daschner; Broschinski, Hofmann
UNAVAILABLE: Bernardo (Injured), Kwarteng (Injured), Ordets (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Tolba (Fitness)
RB LEIPZIG VS BOCHUM PREDICTION
Travelling to RB Leipzig serves as a really difficult first assignment for Bochum, who are likely to spend the vast majority of this contest on the back foot, without possession and with men behind the ball. The question is whether Marco Rose’s side can break down Bochum early, or whether it could prove a frustrating afternoon for them.
Bochum can’t be written off and it would be no surprise if they were presented with counter-attacking opportunities at times. But when taking into account the ability of these two sets of players both as individuals and as a collective unit, RB Leipzig’s superior quality should shine through in the end.
RB LEIPZIG VS BOCHUM TIP: RB LEIPZIG TO WIN
