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RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund will lock horns in the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday at the Red Bull Arena. Both teams will be eager to bounce back from their recent defeats in the Bundesliga.
Leipzig will be looking to defend their DFB-Pokal title, which they won last season under the guidance of Julian Nagelsmann. However, their form has been inconsistent recently, with just one win in their last five matches in all competitions. They suffered a shocking 3-0 defeat at home to Mainz 05 in their last league outing, which saw them miss the chance to move into the Champions League places.
On the other hand, Dortmund suffered a 4-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in their last game, which dealt a severe blow to their title hopes. Despite the loss, they remain firmly in the race for the Bundesliga title, trailing Bayern by just two points. However, they will have to navigate their way through a tricky fixture against Union Berlin this weekend to stay in contention.
Leipzig will be highly motivated to get one over on their former manager, Marco Rose, who now manages Dortmund. Rose has never won a major honour as a manager in German football, and he will be eager to break that duck with Dortmund. However, Leipzig will be a tough nut to crack, especially at home, where they have lost just once in their last 10 matches.
In terms of team news, Leipzig will be without midfielder Kevin Kampl, who is out with a knee injury. Dortmund, on the other hand, will be without their star striker Erling Haaland, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Probable Lineups: RB Leipzig: Gulacsi; Mukiele, Orban, Upamecano, Halstenberg; Sabitzer, Adams, Haidara; Olmo, Poulsen, Forsberg.
Borussia Dortmund: Hitz; Morey, Can, Hummels, Guerreiro; Dahoud, Bellingham, Brandt; Sancho, Reus, Reyna.
Prediction: RB Leipzig 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
Tactics: Leipzig are likely to set up in a 3-4-3 formation, with Poulsen leading the line. They will look to dominate possession and create chances through quick transitions. Dortmund, on the other hand, are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Reus playing as a false nine. They will look to exploit Leipzig’s defensive vulnerabilities on the counter-attack.
