RB Leipzig vs Bochum – Preview, H2H, Line-ups, Prediction | Bundesliga 2022-23

Emil Forsberg-RB Leipzig

RB Leipzig will play Bochum at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday in the Bundesliga.

Venue: Red Bull Arena (Leipzig)

Key Statistics

RB Leipzig are unbeaten at home in the league this season (W2, D1) after recording back-to-back wins without conceding. 

The hosts have conceded 12 goals in the league this season. Only Bochum (19), Schalke (14) and Frankfurt (13) have conceded more goals.

Apart from conceding the most goals in the league, the visitors have scored just five times so far–the joint worst goal return in the league after seven games.

They have recorded just three wins from their last 16 Bundesliga games (D2, L11).  

Head to head

In seven head-to-head encounters between the two sides, RB Leipzig hold the clear advantage as they have won all seven games. 

Latest performances in all competitions

RB Leipzig: L-L-W-L-L

Bochum: D-L-L-L-L

RB Leipzig 

RB Leipzig will look to get back to winning ways this Saturday when they welcome lowly Bochum to Red Bull Arena for their eighth league game of the season. 

The hosts have endured a terrible start to the season so far, losing three of their opening seven league games (D2, L3) and languishing in the bottom half of the table, just three points clear of the relegation zone.  

Despite the arrival of Marco Rose to the club just before the international break, the fortunes of RB Leipzig has not changed, with the new boss losing two of his first three matches at the helm, including a 3-0 loss at Gladbach in their last outing. 

Die Roten Bullen’s awful start to the season has been mainly caused by a leaky defence that has conceded at least three times in Leipzig’s last four losses. 

A return to the Red Bull Arena ought to instil some confidence though, as Leipzig are unbeaten here this season (W2, D1) after recording back-to-back wins without conceding. Their record against Bochum should also boost their morale given that they’ve won all of the previous seven H2H meetings, with each of the last three coming ‘to nil’.

Possible RB Leipzig starting line-up

Peter Gulacsi; Mohamed Simakan, Willi Orban, Abdou Diallo, David Raum; Kevin Kampl, Xaver Schlager, Emil Forsberg, Dominik Szoboszlai, Christopher Nkunku; Timo Werner

Injured: Konrad Laimer, Dani Olmo, Lukas Klostermann, Yussuf Poulsen

Doubtful: None 

Suspended: None

Bochum 

Like their hosts, Bochum have also endured a poor start to the new season and have also had to replace their manager after opening their league campaign with six straight losses.

Nw boss Heiko Butscher’s first game in charge was a relative success as it ended in the first point of the season in a 1-1 draw with FC Koln, ending a run of seven consecutive Bundesliga losses for the visitors. 

However, Butscher has a lot of work on his hands to take Bochum away from the relegation zone. First on his to-do list will be to sort out a porous defence that has conceded 19 goals in seven games–the worst in the division.

Die Unabsteigbaren are currently bottom of the table and already look favourites to be relegated this season after enjoying relative success last season.  

Three wins from their last 16 Bundesliga games puts into perspective the slide Bochum are on (D2, L11), with their positive start to life back in the top tier becoming a distant memory.

But having had uninterrupted two weeks to work with his team, Butscher will hope the international break will have enabled him to get his ideas across to the team and build on their first point of the season. 

Possible Bochum starting line-up

Manuel Riemann, Cristian Gamboa, Tim Oermann, Ivan Ordets, Danilo Soares; Anthony Losilla, Patrick Osterhage; Simon Zoller, Kevin Stoger, gerrit Holtmann; Phillip Hofmann.

Injured: Paul Grave, K. Stafylidis, Dominique Heintz, Takum Asano

Doubtful: None 

Suspended: None 

Prediction

RB Leipzig 2-0 Bochum