Bundesliga: Leipzig Face Tricky Start to 2021 at Stuttgart

VfB Stuttgart vs RB Leipzig

RB Leipzig are still right in the thick of the Bundesliga title race. The Red Bulls are in third place after ending 2020 unbeaten in their last seven league matches, although they did drop two big points in a goalless draw to relegation strugglers Koln just before the winter break.

Julian Nagelsmann’s side must be careful not to slip up again as they have a tricky match to start the New Year away to newly promoted Stuttgart.

Die Schwaben have been one of the big surprises through the first half of the season, and despite the Bundesliga 2020 betting odds, they will be quite a dangerous foe for Leipzig.

Talking Points

Stuttgart’s surprising first half

Stuttgart have been one of the big surprises of the Bundesliga season thus far. The newly promoted side is up in 7th place and has scored 26 goals, tied for the fourth-most in the league.

They had scored in all 12 of their league matches until they lost 1-0 away to Wolfsburg in their last game before the break.

VfB Stuttgart are winless at home in the Bundesliga this season — Silas Wamangituka in action during their match against Union Berlin

Silas Wamangituka has been the standout player for Stuttgart this season. The 21-year-old is the team’s leading scorer with 7 goals, two of which came in their remarkable 5-1 win over Borussia Dortmund, a result that led to Dortmund firing coach Lucien Favre.

Striker Sasa Kalajdzic also came on strong just before the break. He scored a late brace to salvage a point in a 2-2 draw against high-flying Union Berlin and scored their only goal in a 1-0 win over Freiburg in the DFB Pokal.

Argentine Nicolas Gonzalez is also back and producing Bundesliga 2020 highlights after an early-season injury, which gives coach Pellegrino Matarazzo a wealth of attacking weapons.

However, Stuttgart have struggled defensively this season, and that weakness has been especially pronounced at home. They have conceded 12 goals in six games at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, where they have yet to win a single game this season (4 draws, 2 losses).

Leipzig defence making up for attacking dip

Julian Nagelsmann must be pleased at how Leipzig have performed in the first half of the season. The Red Bulls are up in third place, just two points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Leipzig have certainly missed the goals of star striker Timo Werner, but they have managed to get by. They have scored 24 goals thus far, with wing-back Angelino the team’s co-leading scorer with four goals along with Yussuf Poulsen.

Alexander Sorloth, who was signed to help replace Werner, has yet to score a single goal in the league through 12 matches. Reinforcements are on the way after they signed Red Bull Salzburg’s promising young playmaker Dominik Szoboszlai, but the Hungarian teen is unlikely to be ready to make his debut against Stuttgart.

Despite the dip in Leipzig’s attack, they have remained one of the best teams in the Bundesliga thanks to their defence. They have conceded just 9 goals through 13 matches, easily the best defensive record in the league. They’ve also kept three sheets in a row since conceding three goals in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Bayern Munich.

Leipzig had several injury concerns heading into the break. Christopher Nkunku, Ibrahima Konate, and Justin Kluivert were all out against Koln, while Sabitzer and Upamecano were also dealing with knocks. But the Red Bulls should return from the break much healthier, which should provide a massive boost.

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History

There’s not much history to speak of between Stuttgart and Leipzig. The two sides have met just four times in the Bundesliga, with Leipzig winning three of those four encounters.

Leipzig did the double over Stuttgart in the 2018-19 season. Yussuf Poulsen bagged a double to lead Leipzig to a 3-1 win in their last visit to the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Betting Tip

	VfB Stuttgart vs RB Leipzig	VfB Stuttgart Asian Handicap +0.50 @ 2.11
	January 1, 03:30 (GMT+8)

SBOTOP odds have Leipzig placed as 1.83 favourites despite being away from home, with Stuttgart priced at 4.00. Meanwhile, a draw is 3.65.

Stuttgart are pretty decent value on the Asian Handicap market, though. Even though they’ve struggled at home this season, they did pick up a draw against second-placed Bayer Leverkusen and also gave Bayern Munich some problems despite losing 3-1.

Their attack will give Leipzig’s league-leading defence a stern test, and I believe they are capable of coming away from this match with a positive result.