RB Leipzig open Bundesliga season against VfL Bochum
RB Leipzig and VfL Bochum kick off the Bundesliga season on Saturday, 24 August at 14:30 (GMT+1) at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. The hosts, who finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season, begin the new campaign with a significantly reshuffled squad, while Bochum are hoping for a flying start after a difficult previous season.
Leipzig rebuilds after key departures
RB Leipzig ended last season in fourth place, but the squad manager Marco Rose has at his disposal this term looks considerably different in several positions. The most notable departure was that of Dani Olmo, who joined FC Barcelona for a transfer fee of €55 million following an outstanding European Championship. Angeliño also left the club, albeit for a more modest €5 million. On the incoming side, two noteworthy signings have been made: Antonio Nusa was brought in for €21 million, and goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt bolstered Leipzig's ranks for €10 million.
Promising dress rehearsal in the DFB-Pokal
Leipzig's first competitive test of the season went smoothly. Last week, the side beat Essen 4-1 in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, with goals from Nusa and Xavi Simons. Simons, who also impressed at the recent European Championship, has returned to Leipzig on loan. This is Rose's third season at the helm of the club. A Bundesliga win on Saturday would be a fine follow-up to that cup triumph, though some perspective is warranted: Leipzig have won only four of their last eight Bundesliga opening fixtures. Historically speaking, however, the head-to-head record does favour the hosts against Bochum: in eleven official meetings, Leipzig have come out on top nine times. Ahead of the match, Rose noted that he knows Bochum manager Peter Zeidler from his time at Salzburg and expects an intense game with plenty of pressing and counter-pressing, but that his side will nonetheless look to impose their own style of play. In attack, the 4-4-2 formation used last week will be retained, with Benjamin Šeško and Loïs Openda leading the line.
Bochum seeking relief from the lower reaches
VfL Bochum travel to Leipzig carrying less encouraging baggage. In the first round of the DFB-Pokal, the club suffered a 0-1 defeat to second-division side SSV Jahn Regensburg. Last Bundesliga season, Bochum finished in sixteenth place — the final safe position — after overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit in the relegation play-offs against Fortuna Düsseldorf. This season, the objective is to avoid a relegation battle altogether. That ambition, however, runs up against a worrying historical trend: in their last nine Bundesliga opening matches, Bochum have failed to win a single one, recording three draws and six defeats. For manager Peter Zeidler, this is his debut as a head coach in the Bundesliga, and he will undoubtedly be determined to make an immediate positive impression. He is expected to line up in a 4-1-2-1-2 system with Moritz Broschinski and Philipp Hofmann leading the attack. Defender Ivan Ordets is absent due to a shoulder injury.
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Source: Sportmonks
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