Bundesliga 2022-23: VfL Bochum vs RB Leipzig: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

After a disastrous defeat at Etihad, The Redbulls march to Vonovia Ruhrstadion to face Bochum in German league.

VfL Bochum and RB Leipzig are two teams that have recently faced each other in the German Bundesliga. Bochum, a traditional German club founded in 1848, had recently returned to the Bundesliga after a decade-long absence, while RB Leipzig, founded in 2009, has quickly established itself as one of the most successful teams in the league. Bochum started the season with good form, winning their first two matches against Mainz and Hertha Berlin. RB Leipzig, on the other hand, are looking to continue their excellent start to the season even after a big loss to Manchester City in the UCL tie at Etihad Stadium.

Despite the overall results for both, there are still some positives for Bochum. They show that they can compete with some of the best teams in the league and will be looking to bounce back in their next match. For RB Leipzig, the victory was another step towards challenging for the title as they are seven points behind Bayern and are also looking to secure a place in next season's Champions League.

Kick-off:

18-03-2023; 2: 30 GMT, 8 pm IST

 VfL Bochum form (all competition): W-L-L-L-L

Bayern Munich form (all competition): L-W-L-W-D

Players to watch

VfL Bochum: Philipp Hofmann

Philipp Hofmann, despite having an erratic form, is still a reliable attacker for Bochum and will attempt to spearhead the assault against Leipzig on Saturday. With seven goals and one assist, he is the only goal-producer in the Bundesliga. The towering 1.95m forward is praised for being particularly aggressive on the field. He has thus far prevailed in 335 grappling contests, fighting his way up to the third position in the league. He also leads the division in aerial duels gained with 184 victories.

RB Leipzig: Josko Gvardiol

The standout defender for Leipzig this year has been the Croatian centre-back, who also enabled his team to advance further in the Champions League. His excellent form was evident in his exploits at the World Cup in Qatar last December, which received ecstatic evaluations all over the world. He must've gotten over the recent fixture that saw him being dominated by a City attack. But despite everything, he will be the player to watch in the matchup.

Match facts

• Since Marco Rose took charge of RB Leipzig, they have collected 40 points from 19 Bundesliga games and only Bayern have been better during this period.
• Thomas Letsch recorded his seventh win in his 17th Bundesliga game in charge of VfL Bochum. No coach has ever won more of their first 17 matches as Bochum boss.
• After a run of five straight home wins, Bochum have lost their last two home games against Freiburg and Schalke. VfL failed to score in both these matches.

Injury and player news

Bochum have some major injury issue because right-back Cristian Gamboa is no longer a contender suffering from a Knee injury. Grave and Zoller are most likely out for Bochum due to their individual injuries as well. As for RB Leipzig, For Leipzig, Nkunku, Schlieck and Schlager will likely not start the game but they might play but defender Diallo(knee) and goalie Gulasci (Ligament) have long-term injuries and will miss out.

Head-to-head stats

Matches: 8

VFL Bochum: 0

RB Leipzig: 8

Draws: 0

Predicted lineup

VFL Bochum predicted lineup (4-2-3-1):

Riemann; Janko, Ordets, Masovic, Soares; Losilla, Kunde; Asano, Stoger, Holtmann; Hofmann

RB Leipzig predicted Line-up: (4-2-3-1):

Blaswich; Henrichs, Klostermann, Gvardiol, Halstenberg; Laimer (c), Schlager; Szoboszlai, Forsberg, Werner; Silva

Match Prediction

The two clubs have only met a handful of times in their history, with Leipzig winning all of them. When it comes to football, Bochum and Leipzig also have very different stories. Bochum has a long history of playing in the lower leagues of German football, but Leipzig has quickly established itself as a force to be reckoned with in German football, with multiple top-four finishes in the Bundesliga and they'll be looking for redemption and win again this tie against Bochum.

Prediction: VFL Bochum 1 - 3 RB Leipzig

Telecast

India – Sony Liv

USA – Sling Orange, fuboTV

Nigeria – 254 DT

UK – Sky Sports