Bundesliga: Leipzig Seeking First Win Under Jesse Marsch Regime

RB Leipzig vs VfB Stuttgart

RB Leipzig aim to grab their first Bundesliga win at home in the 2021/22 season as they’ll host VfB Stuttgart at the Red Bull Arena this weekend.

Jesse Marsch returned to the drawing board since RB Leipzig lost to Mainz as Moussa Niakhate scored the only goal of the game and they couldn’t convert on any of their chances.

It was an upset since RB Leipzig were runners-up last season and Mainz were depleted due to COVID-19. And Leipzig fans were understandably disappointed since they couldn’t take advantage of Bayern Munich being held by Borussia Monchengladbach.

Meanwhile, VfB Stuttgart are filled with confidence since they’re fresh from a masterclass performance against newly-promoted side Greuther Furth to which they scored five goals, and they’re keen on having a similar performance versus their highly-touted opponents.

With the new season already underway, allow SBOTOP to give you a glimpse on what to expect between these two clubs here in our latest match preview.

Talking Points

Growing pains are inevitable for RB Leipzig

RB Leipzig's Andre Silva aiming to grab their first Bundesliga win at home in the 2021/22 season — RB Leipzig’s Andre Silva in action against Mainz during their Bundesliga opener

For RB Leipzig to claim their first victory of the season, they must avoid a slow start similar to what happened versus Mainz.

Jesse Marsch’s side looked flat as Moussa Niakhate entered the Bundesliga 2021 highlights reel when he put the 05ers ahead by heading the ball home after a failed clearance from Nordi Mukiele.

Die Roten Bullen had their chance through Christopher Nkunku when he received a clever ball from Emil Forsberg, but Niklas Tauer came in to thwart the attempt by the Frenchman.

Prized acquisition Andre Silva couldn’t build his rhythm as he was relatively silent the whole evening, and his only chance came late when he almost scored the equaliser only to be denied by Robin Zentner.

Mainz would’ve extended their lead to two goals when Alexander Hack scored from a corner kick, only for the referees to wave it off although they still came out with the three points.

Marsch himself admitted that he wasn’t happy about the result but a loss like this could ignite the Red Bulls especially since this happened from the first game of the season.

Moreover, Leipzig should be in a better position in this upcoming game since Dani Olmo will return after last week’s absence due to fitness concerns.

Can VfB Stuttgart continue to cope without their top scorers?

Stuttgart fans shouldn’t get too ahead of themselves after last week’s win since Leipzig are a different beast altogether.

Die Schwaben’s firepower will be a huge concern since Sasa Kalajdzic and Silas Katompa Mvumpa remain doubtful at best for this fixture.

Kalajdzic tested positive for the coronavirus few weeks ago and the club hasn’t given us any updates on his availability. Meanwhile, Katompa Mvumpa is banned for three months since he was revealed to be playing under a false identity with his previous Wamangituka surname.

Kalajdzic and Katompa Mvumpa have combined for 27 goals last season and such production is hard to replace.

So for the meantime, Stuttgart will have to generate goals through the likes of Wataru Endo and Hamadi Al Ghaddioui, who both scored against Greuther Furth in the first fixture.

opacity 0

CLICK HERE
TO SEE UPDATED ODDS

Bundesliga

History

Compared to most teams, RB Leipzig and VfB Stuttgart have had a relatively shorter time in the German top-flight which is why their rivalry has a small sample size.

The Red Bulls have been a massive thorn for Stuttgart since they have the significant advantage in the head-to-heads with five victories, whereas Die Schwaben have only drawn once while winning zero times.

At home, RB Leipzig have won all of their three Bundesliga fixtures against VfB Stuttgart without ever conceding a single goal. Overall, the visitors have only scored once against the hosts here in the Bundesliga.

Betting Tip

	RB Leipzig vs VfB Stuttgart	RB Leipzig Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 1.78
	August 21, 02:30 (GMT+8)

There’s no way that RB Leipzig should drop this game since they’re the heavily favoured side in the Bundesliga 2021 odds.

The 2021 Bundesliga runners-up are priced at 1.47 to win, while their visitors in VfB Stuttgart are the underdogs at 6.20 and chances for a draw are at 4.30 in the 1X2 market.

VfB Stuttgart can definitely surprise a lot of people especially if you’ll look at their early run last term, so the hosts cannot afford to let their guard down even for one moment.

But it shouldn’t take too long for Jesse Marsch to figure out the right tactics for his boys. And with a bevy of topnotch talent at his disposal, Leipzig should win this one with ease to grab their first three points of the 2021/22 season.