RB Leipzig aims to move past the setback of their recent elimination from the Champions League as they prepare to host SV Darmstadt 98, the bottom-ranked team in the Bundesliga, at the Red Bull Arena this Saturday. This encounter marks their initial meeting since October of the preceding year, during which Die Rotten Bullen emerged victorious with a 3-1 win at the Merck-Stadion am Bollenfalltor.
Match preview
Leipzig’s elimination from the Champions League’s round of 16 for the second consecutive season was confirmed as they succumbed to a 2-1 aggregate defeat against Real Madrid, despite managing a 1-1 draw in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Willi Orban marked his 300th appearance for Leipzig with his first goal of the season, equalizing after Vinicius Junior had put Real Madrid ahead just three minutes earlier. However, Leipzig failed to capitalize on this momentum and struggled to convert chances, with only four of their 20 shots hitting the target, mirroring their inefficiency in the first leg.
Manager Marco Rose praised his team’s effort and resilience across both legs but acknowledged a lack of experience in crucial moments and a deficiency in finishing prowess in the match against Real Madrid.
With their European campaign concluded, Leipzig can now turn their attention to the remaining 10 Bundesliga fixtures. Sitting fifth in the table, just one point behind Borussia Dortmund in fourth, they aim to maintain their home form with a victory against Darmstadt on Saturday, a team they have comfortably defeated in their previous three encounters.
Darmstadt’s struggles were highlighted by a club-record winless streak of 17 games, culminating in a 6-0 defeat to Augsburg last weekend. Despite the dismal run, coach Torsten Lieberknecht emphasized the team’s unity and determination to bounce back ahead of their challenging fixture against Leipzig.
At the bottom of the Bundesliga standings with just 13 points from 24 matches, Darmstadt faces an uphill battle for survival, trailing 12 points behind safety and four points adrift of the relegation playoff spot.
While confidence may be lacking, Darmstadt can draw some optimism from their recent away performances, having secured draws in four of their last six Bundesliga away matches, a period in which they scored a significant portion of their season’s goals.
Team News
Xaver Schlager is poised to make his return to the lineup following a one-match domestic suspension, having missed the 4-1 victory against VfL Bochum last weekend. It is anticipated that the Austrian midfielder will take precedence over Nicolas Seiwald in the central midfield position.
Mohamed Simakan, who was absent due to a continental suspension in the previous fixture, is eligible to play in the upcoming match and is expected to vie for a starting role at center-back against Castello Lukeba.
Injury concerns persist for Darmstadt, with Marvin Mehlem (broken leg), Matthias Bader (hamstring), Fraser Hornby, Clemens Riedel (both ankle injuries), and Fabian Holland (knock) remaining sidelined. Additionally, Matej Maglica’s availability is uncertain due to a minor training injury. However, Fabian Schnellhardt and Braydon Manu may be in contention for selection after participating in training following long-term injuries.
Christoph Klarer, who has been absent from Lieberknecht’s matchday squad in the past two games, clarified that his absence was due to a minor back issue. Whether he will be available for selection on Saturday remains uncertain.
Lieberknecht is expected to make changes to the starting lineup, with Christoph Zimmermann, Thomas Isherwood, Tobias Kempe, and Gerrit Holtmann among those vying for a return to the fold.
RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Gulacsi; Henrichs, Simakan, Orban, Raum; Simons, Haidara, Schlager, Olmo; Sesko, Openda
SV Darmstadt 98 possible starting lineup:
Schuhen; Zimmermann, Gjasula, Maglica; Skarke, Franjic, Kempe, Karic; Justvan, Holtmann; Polter