RB Leipzig vs Aston Villa prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – League phase betting tips on match 2024-12-09 20:00.
[p]Following a week which saw RB Leipzig reach the quarter-final of the DFB-Pokal and end a four-game winless run of league games to maintain pace with the Bundesliga top-four, their next target is to pick up their first UEFA Champions League (UCL) point. Having lost their opening five UCL games this term, Leipzig face the prospect of setting their longest ever losing run in this competition here, along with a rapidly-increasing chance of elimination. [/p]
[p]Doing so against English opponents won’t be easy for Leipzig, who enter this on the back of conceding 14 times across four straight defeats against such opposition. Conceding at home in the UCL seems like an inevitability when the Red Bulls take to the field as not since 2020 have they managed a home shutout in this competition, with 16 such games passing since that 2-0 win over Başakşehir (W7, D2, L7).[/p]
[p]Making this trip after a second successive Premier League win kept them in the conversation at the right end of the league table, Aston Villa know that victory will likely see them push into the UCL’s top-eight ahead of the final two rounds. Unai Emery’s men could have already been there had it not been for a two-game winless run in this competition (D1, L1), leaving the Spaniard at risk of his longest winless run of European group or league phase games with a single club since 2015.[/p]
[p]Despite their mini-resurgence in recent weeks, playing away from home could prove a significant hurdle for the Villans, who arrive here after four straight away losses, the last three of which came without reply. They lost on their last trip to Germany back in 2008 as well, yet Villa still retain a positive away record on these shores (W3, L2), with no draws therein suggesting the points are unlikely to be shared.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Of the UCL sides to score more than a single goal, Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško is the highest contributor to his team total with 75% of their continental strikes this season (G3). Leading the UCL charge for Villa despite not being a guaranteed starter, Jhon Durán has taken the most shots (ten) and scored more UCL goals (two) than any other Villa player. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: All three games between German and English sides in this season’s UCL saw the English side win without reply. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Matthew Billon[/i][/p]