Opponent analysis: Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig

The 61st Bundesliga season begins!

Following the convincing 3-0 victory over Bayern München in the Supercup, the top flight of German football finally kicks off this weekend. RB Leipzig can expect a real test of quality right from the start, as they begin their campaign away at Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Saturday 19th August (15:30 CEST).

Obviously, we’d like to get out of the blocks quickly with three points at the BayArena, but it’s easier said than done. After finishing sixth last season, Xabi Alonso’s side will be aiming to end up a few places higher this time around.

In light of this, they’ve improved by bringing in some well-known players. Despite having to cope with the loss of an absolutely exceptional player in Moussa Diaby, Bayer 04’s new arrivals are bringing even more quality to the table. Granit Xhaka and Jonas Hofmann, among others, have made the switch to Leverkusen.

Last season, both teams were able to win 2-0 at home when they faced off against one another. So, it’s time for the boys to win away from home! Find all the info on Bayer 04 Leverkusen in our opponent analysis.

Form

Pre-season didn’t exactly go to plan with two narrow defeats in their first two games to SC Paderborn (2-1) and Spanish side Real Sociedad (1-0).

The Rhineland team then managed to find their groove. They gained a lot of confidence following wins against Olympique Marseille (2-1) and West Ham United (4-0).

Last weekend, Florian Wirtz and co. breezed through their first competitive outing of the season. They made light work of Teutonia 05 Ottensen in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, winning 8-0. The outcome was exactly the same when Leipzig faced the Regionalliga side from Hamburg almost a year ago.

B04’s form in numbers

Bayer Leverkusen…

… have scored 15 goals at the start of the new season, eight of which came in the convincing victory over Ottensen.
… have added a lot of experience. For the first time since the 2012/13 season, the Werkself have brought in two players who are older than 30. New arrivals Jonas Hofmann (31) and Granit Xhaka (30) were both signed to be leaders in the dressing room.
… are well-equipped for the season opener. They’ve won their last three games with a combined scoreline of 14-1.

Squad

Transfers

Arrivals

Granit Xhaka returns to the Bundesliga! After seven seasons as an Arsenal player, managing director for sport Simon Rolfes has brought the captain of the Swiss national team back to Germany. The 30 year-old, who played for Borussia Mönchengladbach between 2012 and 2016, brings experience, mentality, and physicality. Xhaka will not only provide a lot of stability playing as a six, but will also help boost the Werkself’s attack. Last season he scored seven goals in the Premier league, assisting a further seven.
This summer, Jonas Hofmann moved across the Rhine, leaving Gladbach after more than seven years to join their local rivals. The German international is planned to be a key part of the attack owing to his technique and dribbling ability. He scored twelve goals in each of the last two seasons.
Victor Boniface arrives at Leverkusen from Royal Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium, where he scored 21 and assisted 11 goals in all competitions. The 6’3” striker was the top scorer in last year’s Europa League with six goals. The 22 year-old Nigerian is hard to play against as a result of his stature. He’s practically a replacement for centre-forward Patrik Schick, who is out with an adductor muscle injury. The new striker can also be deployed as a winger or a second striker.
Alejandro Grimaldo should also be set to start at left-back. The Spaniard, who is a product of FC Barcelona’s famous academy programme, arrived from Portuguese champions SL Benfica, where he ranked among some of the best players in the league. He is seen as being very solid defensively and is extremely threateningfurther up the pitch with his crosses from the wing.
Leverkusen announced their latest transfer on Tuesday, with goalkeeper Matej Kovar being signed from Manchester United on a contract until 2027.

Leverkusen have improved in all areas of the pitch. The new arrivals are expected to settle quickly in the Bundesliga and form a new core for the Werkself.

Departures

In Moussa Diaby, Leverkusen have lost an absolute cornerstone of the club, as well as the player with the most goal contributions last year (14 goals and 11 assists). The fleet-footed Frenchman was one of the first names in the Leverkusen attack for four years. The team has lost a huge amount of pace and goal threat with his departure.
Mitchel Bakker (Atalanta), Kerem Demirbay (Galatasaray), Karim Bellarabi (free agent), Daley Sinkgraven (UD Las Palmas), and Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea FC – end of loan) are also no longer options for the Werkself.

Key players

20-year old attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz is, without a doubt, one of the biggest talents in the world of football. Last year, the promising youngster missed around half the campaign, as he ruptured his ACL in March 2022. He only returned in January 2023 and gradually managed to find his pre-injury level and is now 100% fit. The playmaker is clearly Bayer’s lynchpin, with his dribbling and his vision, and, from this season onwards, he will wear the number 10 shirt.
Jeremie Frimpong is by far one of the quickest and strongest sprinters in the Bundesliga. The Dutch player runs up and down the right touchline and continues to sneak past opposition defences. That’s how he scored many of his nine goals from last season. Frimpong is also an extremely important defensive player when it comes to transition phases due to his tackling ability.
Granit Xhaka is expected to play a key role from the very beginning. The summer arrival has to keep things tight in the middle of the park and facilitate the connection between attack and defense. The midfielder is also expected to lead by example on the pitch, in particular as far as making himself heard and being aggressive in tackles is concerned.
Jonas Hofmann is expected to serve as a like-for-like replacement for Diaby. The ex-Gladbach man has to make assists and create chances. In this regard, both players are similar, even though Leverkusen’s new acquisition isn’t as fast.

Absentees

Due to long-running adductor issues, Patrik Schick will still be watching from the sidelines. The former Leipziger last appeared in the Bundesliga in March. After another operation during pre-season, the Czech is expected back in October at the earliest.
Piero Hincapié is likewise not available. The Ecuadorian international broke his foot in an international match in the middle of July and is still working on his rehabilitation. An appearance against RB Leipzig will likely come too early.
Definitely not available is Amine Adli. The winger was red carded in the final game of last season for a bad foul and is therefore suspended for the start of this term. The Frenchman could be replaced by Adam Hlozek, who impressed with two goals and an assist in the Pokal encounter against Ottensen.

You can find all of RBL’s Latest team news here.

Head coach

As a player, Xabi Alonso was already one of the best in his trade. The former maverick midfielder, who featured for the likes of Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern München, won endless trophies in both club and international football.

The Spaniard brings this charisma and aura into the dugout in his first position as a head coach. The 41-year-old took over in October 2022 and led the club from 17th to 6th place and into the semi-finals of the Europa League.

He succeeded in ensuring defensive solidity and controlling games on the field in order to decrease the number of goals conceded. Through speeches and personality, Xabi Alonso injected his players with a new mentality and desire to win on top of the existing quality on the field. He therefore earned a contract extension until 2026 ahead of time. During the pre-season friendly matches, Alonso turned to possession football.

Tactically, he likes to set his team up in a 3-4-3 system or a 4-2-3-1 formation with a central striker.

RBL’s record against Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Head-to-head:

7 wins, 4 draws, 3 defeats – 22:18 goals
4 Home wins, 3 Away wins
Top goalscorer: Emil Forsberg (4)
Biggest win: 3-0 on 11th November 2018 (goals: Yussuf Poulsen x2, Lukas Klostermann)

The last 5 meetings

23rd April 2023 | Bundesliga matchday 29: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-0 RB Leipzig
29th October 2022 | Bundesliga matchday 12: RB Leipzig 2-0 Bayer 04 Leverkusen
17th April 2022 | Bundesliga matchday 30: Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0-1 RB Leipzig
28th November 2021 | Bundesliga matchday 13: RB Leipzig 1-3 Bayer 04 Leverkusen
30th January 2021 | Bundesliga matchday 19: RB Leipzig 1-0 Bayer 04 Leverkusen