Preview - Borussia Mönchengladbach vs RB Leipzig 31 August 19

[Harry85]

Match Day 3
Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. RB Leipzig
Saturday, August 31st 2019
03:30am (GMT+8 Timing)
Stadium: BORUSSIA-PARK

Borussia Mönchengladbach:
Last five matches form: D W L D W
Average goals per match (18/19): 1.62
Average goals against per match (18/19): 1.24
Top Scorer (18/19): Alassane Pléa (12)

RB Leipzig:
Last five matches form: D D L W W
Average goals per match (18/19): 1.85
Average goals against per match (18/19): 0.85
Top Scorer (18/19): Timo Werner (16)

One of the most eye-catching games is up first on Match Day 3 in the Bundesliga, as last season's fifth placed finishers Borussia Mönchengladbach welcome RB Leipzig - who finished an excellent third last term - to their BORUSSIA-PARK home.

Leipzig did the double over Borussia Mönchengladbach last season, coming out on top 2-1 in this fixture, and picking up the points with a 2-0 success in the reverse.

Jonas Hoffman, Mamadou Doucouré and Torben Muesel are all out for the home side. Leipzig will be without Tyler Adams and Hannes Wolf.

Borussia Mönchengladbach started the season in good style on the road, picking up a 3-1 success at Mainz. Having been held to a goalless draw in their first home game against Schalke, they will be looking to pick up their first home three points of the season in this one.

Leipzig are a perfect two from two so far, proving four goals too good for new boys Union Berlin and beating Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 at home.

Having previously won nine on the bounce at home in the Bundesliga, Borussia Mönchengladbach have now failed to win nine in a row. It's tough to find a reason for this collapse in form, but they will be hoping it comes to an end sooner rather than later.

Leipzig in contrast have now won eight of their past ten league games on the road, scoring three or more in an impressive six of those games.

RB Leipzig are a side ideally set up to play on the road, have started the season in rock-solid form, and can add to Borussia Mönchengladbach's home slump.



Prediction: Borussia Mönchengladbach 1 - 3 RB Leipzig

[Harry85]

Half time: 0 - 1
Full time: 1 - 3
Shots:  12 - 14
Shots on target: 3 - 6
Corner Kicks: 9 - 5
Possession: 49% - 51%


Breel Embolo, Denis Zakaria and Oscar Wendt were all booked for the home side, with referee Sven Jablonski also taking the names of Konrad Laimer and Ibrahima Konate of RB Leipzig.


Gladbach actually started the better of the two sides on the day, and had Leipzig under some pressure early. As chances came and went for the likes of Breel Embolo and Alassane Plea, it began to look as though a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal may cost the home side, and in the end so it proved.


It was Leipzig who opened the scoring in the 38th minute. Nice interplay through midfield between Timo Werner and Emil Forsberg, ending with Forsberg playing in Werner in the left of the area. The frontman finishing through the legs of Yann Sommer from just outside the left corner of the six-yard box. 0-1 at the break.


Two minutes into the second half Leipzig were two to the good. A ball played towards Yussuf Poulsen on the left who laid the ball off into the path of Werner. Werner blitzing past the defence and into the area before finishing in off the keeper from twelve yards.


The home side then did grab themselves a lifeline with almost the last kick of normal time. Laszlo Benes lofting a freekick into the area from deep on the right, Embolo unmarked around six yards from goal and guiding a header into the bottom right - the ball actually looking to come off his shoulder.


There was another goal in stoppage time but, sadly for the home support, it was another for Leipzig as Werner completed his hattrick. Mattias Ginter getting it all wrong when attempting to head clear, and instead merely flicking the ball on into the path of Werner bursting into the left of the area. No mistake from Werner in finding the bottom right from around twelve-yards. 1-3 it finished.