Leipzig defence to nullify Stuttgart’s fast start

Polar opposite opening games

Jesse Marsch’s reign as RB Leipzig head coach got off to a dreary start, losing 1-0 to Mainz in their opening game of the season. A goal from Moussa Niakhate saw a COVID-hit Mainz side claim an unlikely three points over this new look RB Leipzig. Stuttgart on the other hand opened their account for the season with a convincing 5-1 win against Bundesliga new boys Greuther Furth, with goals from Wataru Endo, Phillip Klement, Hamadi Al Ghaddioui and a brace from Marc-Oliver Kempf completing their season opener.

The past maybe a sign of things to come

The six head-to-heads between these two sides does make for grim reading for the visitors. RB Leipzig have claimed five wins with the other game ending all square between the two sides, meaning Stuttgart are yet to record a win against Leipzig. While the hosts maybe slim in the attacking department, due to the recent departures of Timo Werner and co, the leftovers of Julian Nagelsmann’s defensive fortress are still intact. They had the best defensive record in the Bundesliga last season, conceding the league’s least goals at home, just 13 put past them at the Red Bull Arena. Keeping things tight defensively will be something Jesse Marsch shouldn’t be overly worried about in comparison to their scoring concerns. Pellegrino Matarazzo kept this Stuttgart team in the division last season comfortably, finishing an impressive 9^th, just four points behind Borussia Monchengladbach. He’ll be hoping they can have an equally steady campaign this time out, and with such an imperious win last weekend, they must be looking even further up the table. However, the record between these sides makes it unlikely that the visitors will be able to keep up their high scoring efforts on Friday. The last time these two met, RB Leipzig won 2-0 and the visitors suffered a red card for their troubles too. With Stuttgart missing key forward Silas Katompa Mvumpa due to his injury, they’ll be slightly light in the attacking department, making it even less likely for the visitors to grab a goal at the Red Bull Arena.

Marsch needs a win

Jesse Marsch will be even more determined to claim all three points in his first Bundesliga home game as RB Leipzig manager due to their embarrassing defeat to open the campaign. The hosts will be looking to the likes of new striker Andre Silva, midfielders Christopher Nkunku, Emil Forsberg, and Dominik Szoboszlai to see them over the line in this fixture. Due to this attacking firepower, coupled with some defensive stalwarts, I can see RB Leipzig claiming victory in this one. But if failing that, I don’t see them conceding any either.

While a Leipzig win is far from a given here, I think they’ll limit their visitors with their defensive solidarity. That’s why I’m going with both teams not to score with bet365.

Bet Both Teams to Score: No on Bet365