The second top-of-the-table clash for the Champions League in five days will be a key game for RB Leipzig. A win could see the Saxons draw level on points with third-placed TSG Hoffenheim. "We are aware of the importance of the game. We want to seize this huge opportunity with all our might," said RB Leipzig head coach Ole Werner ahead of the Bundesliga match this Friday (20:30/Sky).
At the same time, he is still pondering the starting line-up in attacking midfield. Will he bring on the experienced Xaver Schlager or Ezechiel Banzuzi, as he did recently in Stuttgart? He wants to leave this decision open or not reveal it. Because it's "a top game, so you have to be on top in all phases of the game. If you want to pick out key factors, then Hoffenheim are a team that plays very physically. They manage to prevent switching moments through clever fouls and good tackling," analyzed Werner.
Sinsheim have won just one of their last four games. Their last point in Leipzig came in a 0-0 draw in April 2021. The only win at the Red Bull Arena came in 2018, when current national coach Julian Nagelsmann won 5-2.