RB Leipzig – Bayer Leverkusen: Unbeaten Home Run Ends as Leipzig Leak Three (1-3)

The home side started the game with a man-oriented press and a level of intensity that Bayer Leverkusen initially struggled with. RB Leipzig took the lead in the first half through Xaver Schlager after a clever move. However, Leverkusen turned it around seamlessly with goals from Patrick Schick, Martin Terrier, and a last-minute sealer from Montrell Culbreath.

Tactical analysis and match report by Fahd Ahmed.

A top-end clash between third-placed RB Leipzig and fourth-positioned Bayer Leverkusen was the most intriguing tie of the Bundesliga weekend. Only three points separated the pair, but to make it even more interesting, the fifth- and sixth-placed sides Hoffenheim and Stuttgart faced each other on the same day. Thus, with only a few points separating those four teams, it was a massive weekend to keep tallying points as the race for Champions League qualification heats up every matchday.

Leipzig suffered a disappointing 3–1 defeat to Union Berlin last weekend, but the lineup against Leverkusen remained the same for the most part. The only two changes from Ole Werner were forced, as Johan Bakayoko and Yan Diomande picked up injuries. Instead, Rômulo and Tidiam Gomis featured in the starting eleven.

Kasper Hjulmand made five alterations to the side that comfortably defeated Köln 2–0. In the frontline, Patrick Schick returned whilst Christian Kofane was benched. Further, Martin Terrier was preferred to Ibrahim Maza, which meant that Malik Tillman dropped into a deeper midfield role. At the back, Nathan Tella started instead of Ernest . . .