With a place in the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal on the line, RB Leipzig welcome Wolfsburg to the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday, aiming to avenge their heaviest home defeat of the season.
Marco Rose's men stormed into the quarter-finals with a commanding 3-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, thanks to a first-half strike from Benjamin Sesko and a Lois Openda brace, while the visitors booked their spot by easing past Hoffenheim.
Match preview
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The triumph over Frankfurt was a much-needed response from Leipzig, who entered that tie with their manager under mounting pressure following a six-match winless run that included five defeats, the most damning of which was a crushing 5-1 home loss to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.
That result ignited speculation over Rose's future, but the cup victory set the stage for an upturn in form, yielding five wins in their next seven games.
However, Leipzig's inconsistencies have resurfaced, with just two wins in their last nine matches – a 2-2 draw last time out marking the Red Bulls' fifth stalemate in that run, leading to a drop to sixth in the league standings.
While the pain of their humbling defeat to Wolfsburg lingers, RBL also seek redemption after last season's DFB-Pokal elimination at the hands of Wednesday's opponent, falling 1-0 in the second round at the Volkswagen Arena.
That setback dashed Leipzig's hopes of lifting the cup for a third consecutive time, having won the previous two editions, adding extra fuel to their desire for revenge in midweek.
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Despite their recent success against the hosts, Wolfsburg have never won a DFB-Pokal tie away at the Red Bull Arena, losing all three previous visits, including their most recent defeat at this stage in 2020-21.
Adding to their concerns is a poor record in the competition, having not reached the semi-finals since lifting the trophy in 2014-15.
Like Leipzig, Ralph Hasenhuttl's side had little trouble progressing to the quarter-finals, securing a comfortable 3-0 home victory over Hoffenheim.
Similar in struggles, Wolfsburg have also failed to find consistency in recent times, managing just one win in their last six outings — a run that includes four draws and a solitary defeat.
A 1-1 stalemate on home soil against relegation-threatened Bochum last weekend is the latest in a string of frustrating results that have left the White and Greens eighth in the Bundesliga standings.
Team News
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Leipzig will be without Benjamin Henrichs (Achilles tendon) and Forzan Assan Ouedraogo (hamstring), alongside Xaver Schlager and Antonio Nusa, who are both sidelined with knee injuries.
Maarten Vandevoordt, who has featured exclusively in this competition, could once again start between the posts.
Up front, Sesko and Openda are likely to lead the attack in a two-man strike force, while a potential four-man midfield may see Amadou Haidara come into the fold should Christoph Baumgartner fail to recover from the knock that forced him off in their last outing.
Wolfsburg are dealing with several injury concerns, including absences for Rogerio and Niklas Klinger.
With Kamil Grabara still nursing a hamstring problem, Marius Muller is set to continue in goal, while in midfield, Mattias Svanberg and Aster Vranckx could retain their places in the double pivot in the absence of the injured Maximilian Arnold,
Hasenhuttl may stick with the front two of Jonas Wind and Mohamed El Amine Amoura, while Kevin Paredes, Bartosz Bialek, Lukas Nmecha and Lovro Majer remain in the treatment room.
RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Vandevoordt; Raum, Geertruida, Orban, Lukeba, Baku; Simons, Haidara, Kampl, Seiwald; Openda, Sesko
Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Muller; Fischer, Vavro, Koulierakis, Maehle; Tomas, Svanberg, Vranckx, Wimmer; Wind, Amoura
We say: RB Leipzig 2-1 Wolfsburg
Despite both sides' inconsistent form of late, Leipzig seem the more driven, fuelled by a desire for revenge, while their success in the DFB-Pokal in recent years and strong home record against Wolfsburg in the competition could also work in their favour on Wednesday.
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Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
