Bundesliga: Red Bulls Crave for a Win Against Agitated Foals

RB Leipzig vs Borussia Mönchengladbach

Both RB Leipzig and Mönchengladbach have been in a slump since the start of the 2024 calendar year, but they will have the opportunity to trend in the right direction when they lock horns at Red Bull Arena for their Bundesliga showcase.

The Red Bulls’ defencive third have struggled for the past few weeks, but luckily for them, Openda and Simons are able to carry the load on the other side of the field.

Meanwhile, after missing two games due to an injury, Alassane Plea may start for M’gladbach again against Leipzig, giving supporters even more reason to celebrate as their top scorer is finally back in action.

Talking Points

Leipzig struggle to get back on track

Marco Rose’s Leipzig have not been their usual selves in the past few weeks, winning just one top-flight match since the start of the 2024 calendar year.

It’s not hard to spot where they lacked in recent games, as one could immediately see the glaring problem as soon as you look at their latest Bundesliga 2024 results.

The Red Bulls conceded a total of 12 goals since the start of the year, including their defeat against Real Madrid in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, which is a perfect recipe for disaster, especially when you’re trying to keep up in the title race.

Leipzig fans hoped for better results when the Red Bulls hosted Real Madrid for their Champions League tie in the Red Bull Arena. Unfortunately, Leipzig failed to find the back of the net and fell to Los Blancos 0-1.

Garnering just four points in their last five matches, they’ve slipped down to the fifth spot in the Bundesliga standings with 37 points, three points behind fellow Champions League competitors Dortmund.

Because of their recent defencive struggles, Leipzig now have the most conceded goals (28) among all the Bundesliga outfits in European contention.

Marco Rose and his men need to rally as quickly as possible for their upcoming matchup against the struggling Foals, as they will face the defending German champions Bayern Munich next weekend.

Can Plea start a rally for M’gladbach?

M’gladbach have consistently been in the middle of the table in the German top flight, which is already a respectable feat for any club in Germany. Although, so far this season, the Foals are a little closer to the relegation zone than they would like. 

After 21 games, M’gladbach have a losing record of 5-7-9 with a total of 22 points. Their tepid performances forced them to get stuck in the lower half of the table at the 13th spot, where they desperately claw up the standings alongside Augsburg, Wolfsburg, Bochum, and Union Berlin.

They’ve definitely missed the services of their top goal scorer, Alassane Plea, who has been on and off the field this season due to injuries.

The Foals could have definitely used his services during their 0-0 draw against the undefeated Leverkusen and during their 3-1 defeat against Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich.

It’s evident that Gerardo Seoane’s offence struggles to generate goals when Plea isn’t on the field, but luckily for them, Plea made his return during their most recent match against Darmstadt as a substitute.

If everything goes smoothly, Plea will most likely go back to his starting role when they face RB Leipzig, who have been struggling defencively, which just means that M’gladbach’s final third could be in for a big night at Red Bull Arena.

History

Leipzig have won the last two clashes against the Foals, ending both of their 2023 games with clean sheets. Timo Werner was the catalyst for success during their wins over M’gladbach, scoring for his side in both matches.

These outfits seem to refuse to end their head-to-heads with a stalemate, finishing with a draw just once in their last 12 games, which is something to keep in mind when choosing lines to bet on for this match.

In those 12 head-to-heads, Leipzig won the majority with eight wins, while the Foals were able to win three games back and tally a draw once.

In the goal scoring department, their matches usually end in a relatively high aggregate, as they’ve scored a total of 45 goals in 15 matches.

Betting Tip

M’gladbach have never won in Red Bull Arena since 2016, which is a good indication as to why Leipzig are the SBOTOP Bundesliga 2024 odds favourites to win at 1.35, while the visiting Foals are the underdogs at 6.20 with a draw price of 4.88.

Betting on the home team at 1.35 does not really get the bells ringing in terms of excitement and value, which is why my betting tip is total goals over 3.25 at 1.78.

Leipzig have been struggling defencively, but their final third haven’t lost a step. The Red Bulls have scored six goals in their last three Bundesliga games, and it helps that their one-two punch, Lois Openda and Xavi Simons, will be available for Marco Rose. Not to mention that M’gladbach’s leading goal scorer, Alassane Plea, will also grace the pitch this weekend.

 

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