Bayer Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig: Team news and predicted line-ups | OneFootball

Third-placed RB Leipzig will hope to confirm a Champions League berth for next season with a victory when they face top-four hopefuls Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. 

After going down to Bayern Munich in the DFB Pokal semi-finals, Kasper Hjulmand’s men rebounded with a 2-1 league win against Köln in their previous outing. Patrick Schick’s brace nullified Luca Waldschmidt’s goal as Leverkusen picked up three points to keep them just two points behind fourth-placed Stuttgart. Die Werkself have won three of their last four Bundesliga matches, scoring ten goals in the process, and they are expected to give an enormous effort for a Champions League spot with just three games remaining. 

Hjulmand will have most of his first-choice players available for the clash with the exception of Christian Kofane, who is dealing with a thigh issue. Ibrahim Maza and Nathan Tella will start behind lone striker Schick up front. Arthur, Aleix García, Exequiel Palacios and Alejandro Grimaldo will feature in front of the three-man defence in a 3-4-2-1 formation. 

Meanwhile, Leipzig enter this match with a five-game winning run on their back, netting 14 times during this run. Their last game ended in a 3-1 victory over Union Berlin as Max Finkgräfe, Rômulo Cardoso and Ridle Baku were on the scoresheet to keep them in third-place in the Bundesliga standings with 62 points, five clear of Stuttgart. Ole Werner’s side can earn a top-four finish with just a victory against Leverkusen, as Die Schwaben and Hoffenheim lock horns ahead of their own fixture, and at least one of them will drop points. 

Die Roten Bullen will hope to have attackers Yan Diomande and Rômulo continue their goalscoring form on Saturday. Xaver Schlager and Christoph Baumgartner are set to start the game. Forzan Assan Ouédraogo might be dropped to the bench.

Here are the predicted line-ups for the Bundesliga fixture between Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig

Bayer Leverkusen: Blaswich – Quansah, Andrich, Tapsoba – Arthur, Aleix García, Palacios, Grimaldo – Maza, Tella – Schick.

Leipzig: Vandevoordt – R. Baku, Orbán, Lukeba, Finkgräfe – Seiwald – Schlager, Baumgartner -Diomande, Rômulo, Nusa. 

GGFN | Trambak Bhattacherjee