Head-to-Head: RB Leipzig travel to face Borussia Dortmund

Ready for a big challenge in Dortmund! 

RB Leipzig take on Borussia Dortmund at primetime on Saturday night (18:30 CET). We’ve won both our last two away games on Saturday evening (at Hertha and at Bayern), and will be looking to repeat the feat once again this weekend. 

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RBL and BVB are just a point apart in the table, with the hosts needing a win in order to leapfrog the Bulls. However, Marco Rose and his team will be looking to take the full haul of three points back to Leipzig with them. 

What can our team expect from Saturday’s match? In the lead-up to kick off, we take a look at several key players from both teams, as well as both head coaches. 

Edin Terzic vs. Marco Rose

Edin Terzic is currently in his second stint at Borussia Dortmund. He took over as interim head coach in 2020/21 after the club parted ways with Lucien Favre. BVB enjoyed a strong end to their campaign under his charge, which was highlighted by the club qualifying for the Champions League and lifting the DFB-Pokal after beating RBL in the final. 

He then took up a role as technical director at the club, before returning as head coach ahead of the 2022/23 season. The 41-year-old only narrowly missed out on winning the Bundesliga in his first full season at the helm, with BVB finishing just two points behind top spot.

Edin Terzic stats

• Wins in 2023/24: 
  12 (7x Bundesliga, 3x Champions League, 2x DFB-Pokal)
   
• Points-per-game average in his time as BVB head coach: 
  1.99

Marco Rose arrived in Leipzig in September 2022, having coached Borussia Dortmund to a second-placed finish in the 2021/22 season. RBL enjoyed a very successful start to life under Rose, as he guided them from 11th to third place, successfully sealing qualification to the Champions League. Under his charge, we also successfully defended our DFB-Pokal title. 

Rose has the highest win percentage in the Bundesliga of any RBL head coach (64%). This season, we are averaging nearly two points per game under Rose and have reached the round of 16 in the Champions League with one matchday to spare. 

Marco Rose stats

• Wins in 2023/24: 
  13 (8x Bundesliga, 3x Champions League, 1x DFB-Pokal, 1x Supercup)
   
• Points-per-game average in his time as RBL head coach: 
  2.10
   

Gregor Kobel vs. Janis Blaswich

Gregor Kobel is the first choice between the sticks at Borussia Dortmund. The Swiss goalkeeper has developed into one of the best shot-stoppers in the Bundesliga since arriving at the club in summer 2021. He has once again been in strong form this season. 

Kobel’s biggest strengths are his lightning-fast reflexes and strong saves on the line, both of which cause plenty of problems for his opponents. The 26-year-old has been the hero for BVB in many close games in recent years.

Gregor Kobel stats

• Appearances: 
  20 (13x Bundesliga, 5x Champions League, 2x DFB-Pokal)
   
• Clean sheets: 
  7x (3x Bundesliga, 3x Champions League, 1x DFB-Pokal)
   
• Goals conceded: 
  23 (19x Bundesliga, 3x Champions League, 1x DFB-Pokal)

Janis Blaswich has delivered consistently strong performances ever since being called upon to deputise for Péter Gulácsi a year ago. His efforts have been rewarded with a contract extension at RBL, as well as his first Germany call-up. 

Blaswich has kept five clean sheets in the Bundesliga this season – a league high and something only Leverkusen’s Lukas Hradecky and Stuttgart’s Alexander Nübel can match. Our number 21 is a solid and reassuring presence at the back. 

Janis Blaswich stats

• Appearances: 
  19 (13x Bundesliga, 5x Champions League, 1x Supercup)
   
• Clean sheets: 
  6x (5x Bundesliga, 1x Supercup)
   
• Goals conceded: 
  22 (13x Bundesliga, 9x Champions League)
   

Mats Hummels vs. Lukas Klostermann

Mats Hummels will turn 35 on 16th December, but the veteran is still delivering top level performances week after week, most recently in a 3-1 win against AC Milan in the Champions League. 

Despite facing stiff competition from Niklas Süle for a spot in the starting line-up, Hummels is the preferred choice at the minute. His experience and skill at winning tackles help him cut off opposition attacks, allowing him to prevent even pacy players from finding a way past him. 

Mats Hummels stats

• Appearances : 
  18 (12x Bundesliga, 5x Champions League, 1x DFB-Pokal)

Lukas Klostermann was on the bench for RB Leipzig at the start of the season, but has been able to fight his way back into the team. He’s able to play in both a back-three and back-four, with his variability of great asset to the team. 

The 27-year-old is an extremely reliable defender, who rarely makes mistakes. In addition to his consistency, he is also quick, which helps him to chase down the opposition and cut off dangerous balls.

Lukas Klostermann stats

• Appearances: 
  17 (10x Bundesliga, 4x Champions League, 2x DFB Pokal, 1x Supercup)
   

Marcel Sabitzer vs. Xaver Schlager

Former RBL man Marcel Sabitzer moved to BVB last summer, where he immediately slotted into the starting XI. When the Austria international is fit, he’s an unmissable part of Eden Terzic’s team. 

While he primarily plays on the left wing for Austria, Sabitzer tends to feature in a more defensive role in central midfield for BVB. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old is still able to pose a threat on goal, having scored three times and set up a further three goals this season. 

Marcel Sabitzer stats

• Appearances: 
  16 (10x Bundesliga, 4x Champions League, 2x DFB-Pokal)
   
• Goals: 
  3 (2x Bundesliga, 1x DFB-Pokal)
   
• Assists: 
  3 (2x Champions League, 1x DFB-Pokal)

Despite there being several strong contenders amongst our centre midfielders, Xaver Schlager is the undisputed first choice. The Austrian has started every game he’s been able to play in, only coming off the bench once in the first round of the DFB-Pokal against Wehen Wiesbaden. 

As a player, Schlager is a force to be reckoned with both in attack and defence. He has a good sense for when to drive forward and when to use well-timed tackles to disrupt the opponent’s play. This makes him a key player in Marco Rose’s squad. 

Xaver Schlager stats

• Appearances: 
  20 (12x Bundesliga, 5x Champions League, 2x DFB Pokal, 1x Supercup)
   
• Goals: 
  1x Champions League
   
• Assists: 
  1x Bundesliga, 2x Champions League
   

Julian Brandt vs. Xavi

Julian Brandt is BVB’s offensive lynchpin. The 27-year old’s technical ability is extremely good. He loves to set his teammates up, but is equally comfortable taking shots on himself. He has six goals and six assists to his name after 19 competitive appearances this season.

The German international is incredibly versatile and has most recently been deployed as a winger. That being said, he is most at home playing as a 10, where he can dictate his team’s attack.

Julian Brandt stats

• Appearances: 
  19 (13x Bundesliga, 4x Champions League, 2x DFB Pokal)
   
• Goals: 
  6 (4x Bundesliga, 1x Champions League,1x DFB Pokal)
   
• Assists: 
  6 (5x Bundesliga, 1x DFB Pokal)

RBL’s Xavi has adopted a similar role to Brandt at his new club. The Dutchman has been a key figure for Leipzig this season from the word go. Even in games where the attack hasn’t really been firing, Xavi can take the game by the scruff of the neck and produce some individual brilliance to tip the game in RBL’s favour. He’s contributed to 15 goals this campaign, scoring six and registering nine assists.

Xavi has shown that he is a world-class operator despite only being 20 years old. He has been given even more responsibility in attacking midfield following injuries to Dani Olmo. His ability to win matches single-handedly is especially important in big games, such as the clash with Dortmund on Saturday.

Xavi stats

• Appearances: 
  21 (13x Bundesliga, 5x Champions League, 2x DFB Pokal, 1x Supercup)
   
• Goals: 
  6 (4x Bundesliga, 2x Champions League)
   
• Assists: 
  9 (7x Bundesliga, 2x Champions League)
   

Niclas Füllkrug vs. Loïs Openda

Niclas Füllkrug has nailed down a spot in BVB’s starting XI since his arrival from Bremen in the summer. The striker is constantly improving at his new club and has started to hit the target more and more regularly. Füllkrug is a player who doesn’t like to dilly-dally and is always looking to get the ball forwards.

The 30-year-old isn’t just a clinical finisher. His physical strength means that he is fantastic at holding the ball up and he can play his teammates through on goal. He often plays the final or penultimate ball before Dortmund score. His positive attitude also gives the team a boost.

Niclas Füllkrug stats

• Appearances: 
  19 (13x Bundesliga, 5x Champions League, 1x DFB Pokal)
   
• Goals: 
  6 (4x Bundesliga, 1x Champions League, 1x DFB Pokal)
   
• Assists: 
  4x Bundesliga

Loïs Openda has taken to the Bundesliga like a duck to water after arriving from French side RC Lens in the summer. The scoring proficiency he displayed in Ligue 1 hasn’t been affected in the slightest since making the switch to Leipzig and he has scored an impressive 14 goals in 21 appearances this season.

Despite standing at 1.77m tall, the Belgian has a lot of power and he frequently uses his pace to get in behind the opposition defence. His awareness of the game also helps him in this regard, as he times his runs perfectly.

Loïs Openda stats

• Appearances: 
  21 (13x Bundesliga, 5x Champions League, 2x DFB Pokal, 1x Supercup)
   
• Goals: 
  14 (10x Bundesliga, 4x Champions League)
   
• Assists: 
  3x Bundesliga