Bayer Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2023-08-18 13:30.
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso is challenging his side to build upon their sixth-placed finish in the German Bundesliga last season. The Spaniard, who has recently penned a new three-year contract with the club, says he “wants more” from his players as they get their 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign underway, with a return to the Champions League after missing out this season very much in his sights.
Signings such as Granit Xhaka, Victor Boniface and Alejandro Grimaldo from Arsenal, Union St Gilloise and Benfica respectively show Die Werkself’s ambitions are being backed up by high priced signings. They started the season in perfect fashion last weekend, dishing out an 8-0 battering to fourth-tier Teutonia 05 Ottensen in the DFB-Pokal, and will now attempt to win their opening league game for the first time in four attempts (D2, L1).
It appears to be a difficult task against visitors RB Leipzig, though, as they arrive at the BayArena fresh from beating Bayern Munich 3-0 to lift the German Super Cup for the first time. The ease of that victory came as a surprise to many, not least manager Marco Rose, who had admitted pre-match that he was “not entirely sure” whether this side would hit the ground running after a “physically and mentally” tough pre-season.
However, he needn’t have worried as summer signings Luis Openda and Nicolas Seiwald settled immediately into the starting line-up, while ominously for the Red Bulls’ opponents, further new arrivals Castello Lukeba and Christoph Baumgartner watched from the sidelines. The pair may make their debut in this match, where Leipzig will be looking to build on their run of seven wins from their final eight league outings last season, whilst hoping to avenge the only blot in that period which came at this venue with a 2-0 loss to Leverkusen.
Key battle: Boniface netted on his Leverkusen debut last weekend and has now won 24 of the last 31 matches in which he has scored (D4, L3). Looking to stop him may be RB Leipzig defender Willi Orbán, who has won six of his ten league H2Hs (D2, L2), keeping four clean sheets in the process.
Hot stat: RB Leipzig have won only two of the nine Bundesliga away games they have played in the month of August (D2, L5).