Leipzig to begin Bundesliga campaign against Bochum.
RB Leipzig vs
VfL Bochum 1848
As RB Leipzig kick off their Bundesliga campaign against VfL Bochum at the Red Bull Arena, they'll look to new signings and a strong track record against their opponents to overcome early season uncertainties in what promises to be a high-octane clash.
RB Leipzig
After finishing in 4th place last term, Leipzig will begin their Bundesliga campaign with Saturday’s clash against Bochum. This season, they will likely look different due to key departures.
Dani Olmo, who had a brilliant outing at the recently concluded European Championship, made the switch to Barcelona after €55 million changed hands. While Angeliño left for a modest sum of €5 million, Antonio Nusa joined the club for €21 million, and goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt arrived for €10 million.
Marco Rose, now in his third season with the team, led Leipzig to a 4-1 win over Essen last weekend in the first round of the DFB Pokal. Goals came from Nusa and Xavi Simons, who impressed during Euro 2024 and has returned on loan.
An opening win would complement last weekend’s victory, although Leipzig have won only half of their last eight opening Bundesliga matches. However, with nine victories in 11 competitive encounters against Bochum, a win on Saturday shouldn't be overly problematic for the Red Bulls.
Marco Rose, ahead of Saturday’s clash, mentioned, ‘We gained some insight with the Pokal match, but we don't really know what to expect yet. I know Peter Zeidler from Salzburg. We expect a wild game in which we will have little time to refocus and react. There will be a lot of pressing and counter-pressing situations. We will still try to play out our game plan,’ he added.
Benjamin Šeško and Loïs Openda are expected to maintain their positions in attack from last weekend’s 4-4-2 formation.
VfL Bochum 1848
Unlike Leipzig, VfL Bochum suffered a defeat in their first-round DFB-Pokal encounter, losing 0-1 to SSV Jahn Regensburg. Bochum narrowly avoided relegation last season after finishing in 16th place, making a notable comeback from a 3-0 defeat in the first leg of their relegation play-off against Fortuna Düsseldorf.
This weekend, they aim to start strong, hoping to steer clear of the relegation battle altogether. However, Bochum are winless in their last nine Bundesliga opening games, recording 0 wins, 3 draws, and 6 losses.
Peter Zeidler will be aiming to make a memorable impression in his Bundesliga managerial debut. A 4-1-2-1-2 formation is expected, featuring Moritz Broschinski and Philipp Hofmann in attack. Unfortunately, Ivan Ordets will miss Bochum’s opening game due to a shoulder injury.
