MX23RW : Thursday, November 21 17:21:51| >> :600:1072720:1072720:
[monks data]
Wolfsburg
Bundesliga | Gameweek 3
Aug 29, 2021 at 4.30pm UK
 
Leipzig logo

Wolfsburg
1 - 0
RB Leipzig

Roussillon (52')
Steffen (35'), Schlager (65'), Guilavogui (70'), Roussillon (89')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Gvardiol (26'), Adams (35')

Preview: Wolfsburg vs. RB Leipzig - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday's Bundesliga clash between Wolfsburg and RB Leipzig, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Wolfsburg will aim to maintain their perfect start to the Bundesliga season when they host last season's runners-up RB Leipzig on Sunday.

The Wolves are the only side in the league to have won their opening two matches, while Die Roten Bullen have won one and lost one under new manager Jesse Marsch.


Match preview

VfL Wolfsburg's Wout Weghorst celebrates scoring their first goal with Paulo Otavio on January 16, 2021© Reuters

A fourth-place finish last season was Wolfsburg's highest placing since 2015, but manager Oliver Glasner controversially jumped ship to Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer.

Mark van Bommel was appointed as his replacement and the Dutchman has overseen a smooth transition, with the exception of disqualification from the DFB-Pokal for using too many substitutes.

Last season's top scorer Wout Weghorst secured a 1-0 win over VfL Bochum on the opening day, before Lukas Nmecha came off the bench to net the winner in a 2-1 comeback victory against Hertha Berlin last weekend.

The Wolves had the second-best defensive record in the Bundesliga last season, conceding just 37 goals - the only team to let in fewer were RB Leipzig, with 32.

RB Leipzig's Andre Silva in action with Mainz 05's Robin Zentner on August 15, 2021© Reuters

However, Leipzig lost centre-back pair Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate in the summer, as well as Bayern Munich-bound boss Julian Nagelsmann.

New manager Marsch, recruited from Red Bull Salzburg, oversaw a 1-0 defeat to Mainz 05 on the opening weekend – the club's fourth successive away loss in the Bundesliga.

The Saxony outfit bounced back last week though, with a 4-0 win over Stuttgart, helped by a brace from Dominik Szoboszlai, who preceded Marsch's arrival from Salzburg.

Leipzig, who host champions Bayern Munich after the international break, are unbeaten in their last eight matches against Wolfsburg.

Wolfsburg Bundesliga form:
  • W
  • W

Wolfsburg form (all competitions):
  • L
  • W
  • W

RB Leipzig Bundesliga form:
  • L
  • W

RB Leipzig form (all competitions):
  • W
  • L
  • W



Team News

RB Leipzig head coach Jesse Marsch pictured on August 15, 2021© Reuters

Luca Waldschmidt has arrived at Wolfsburg from Benfica this week, but could be denied a debut after suffering a head injury in training.

Lukas Nmecha will be pushing for a start after scoring the winning goal as a substitute last weekend, while younger brother Felix is still lacking match fitness.

William and Bartosz Bialek are both sidelined with knee injuries and Paulo Otavio has an ankle issue.

Jesse Marsch should name an unchanged RB Leipzig side from their thrashing of Stuttgart, with teenager Josko Gvardiol continuing to deputise for the injured Angelino at left-back.

It means that captain Marcel Sabitzer will once again be left on the bench, along with last season's top scorer Yussuf Poulsen.

If Andre Silva plays, it will be his 60th Bundesliga appearance; he has scored 41 goals in the previous 59, with his first for Leipzig coming last weekend after a summer move from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Casteels; Mbabu, Lacroix, Brooks, Roussillon; Schlager, Arnold; Baku, Philipp, Steffen; Weghorst

RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Gulacsi; Klostermann, Orban, Simakan, Gvardiol; Adams, Haidara; Szoboszlai, Forsberg, Nkunku; Silva


SM words green background

We say: Wolfsburg 1-2 RB Leipzig

This will be Wolfsburg's toughest test so far this season and we think it could be their first defeat. Leipzig showed their immense quality against Stuttgart last week and it is hard not to predict an away victory given the talent in their squad.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a double chance bet on a home win or an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Home/Away:data



ID:461148:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect8775:

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a RB Leipzig win with a probability of 53.48%. A draw had a probability of 23.4% and a win for Wolfsburg had a probability of 23.09%.

The most likely scoreline for a RB Leipzig win was 0-1 with a probability of 10.28%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (9.78%) and 0-2 (9.08%). The likeliest drawn scoreline was 1-1 (11.08%), while for a Wolfsburg win it was 1-0 (6.28%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with a 6.3% likelihood.


Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History

How you voted: Wolfsburg vs RB Leipzig

Wolfsburg
25.7%
Draw
16.5%
RB Leipzig
57.8%
109
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Angel Di Maria pictured for Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021
Read Next:
Paris St Germain continue winning start with hard-fought win at Brest
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Bayern MunichBayern108203372626
2RB Leipzig106311551021
3Eintracht FrankfurtFrankfurt1062226161020
4Bayer LeverkusenB. Leverkusen104512116517
5Freiburg105231311217
6Union BerlinUnion Berlin1044298116
7Borussia DortmundDortmund105141818016
8Werder Bremen104331721-415
9Borussia MonchengladbachBorussia M'bach104241514114
10Mainz 05Mainz103431514113
11Stuttgart103431919013
12Wolfsburg103341918112
13Augsburg103341320-712
14Heidenheim103161315-210
15Hoffenheim102351319-69
16St Pauli10226712-58
17Holstein Kiel101271225-135
18VfL BochumVfL Bochum100281030-202


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!