German Bundesliga - RB Leipzig vs. Fortuna Dusseldorf - Preview & Prediction

Still actively fighting to avoid automatic relegation this season, 16th-placed Fortuna Dusseldorf will pay a visit to 3rd-placed RB Leipzig, who are yet to be guaranteed a top-four finish. Kick-off - at 14:30 PM ET on Wednesday, June 17.

Leipzig Triumph In Hoffenheim

RB Leipzig improved their chances of finishing in the top-four of the Bundesliga this season after snatching a 2-0 victory against Hoffenheim away at PreZero Arena on Friday. The hosts outshot the Red Bulls 24-15 and had a first-half penalty claim ruled out by VAR, but an early double in a matter of two minutes by Spanish attacking midfielder Dani Olmo, who joined RB Leipzig from Dinamo Zagreb in January, was enough to seal the deal for the visitors. The Red Bulls are 3rd in the Bundesliga with a W17 D11 L3 record, five and six points ahead of 4th-placed Bayer Leverkusen and 5th-placed Borussia Monchengladbach respectively.

German forward Timo Werner leads RB Leipzig with 25 markers in the Bundesliga this season, sitting 2nd only to Robert Lewandowski (30 snipes) in the league’s scoring table. Peter Gulacsi, meanwhile, has posted 87 saves this year, currently occupying the 7th position in the goalkeeper chart. He has picked up 10 clean sheets in 30 appearances during the ongoing campaign and gives up a goal every 90 minutes on average. The Red Bulls are 3rd in most goals netted so far this season (77), 2nd in most shots taken per game (16.3), and 4th in both ball possession (53.7%) and passing accuracy (82.2%).

Dusseldorf Get Edged By Dortmund

Fortuna Dusseldorf came agonizingly close to snatching at least a point during their current battle to remain in the Bundesliga for the next season but ended up dropping a last-gasp 1-0 decision against Borussia Dortmund at Merkur Spiel-Arena on Saturday. Die Flingeraner controlled the ball just 37% of the time, but matched BVB in shots (6-6), with substitute Steven Skrzybski hitting the woodwork twice after the Black-and-Yellows had a goal disallowed due to handball, with Dortmund eventually banking the victory in the 95th minute with the last kick of the game. Fortuna Dusseldorf (W6 D10 L15) are on level points with second-bottom Werder Bremen but still occupy the relegation play-off spot due to better goal difference by a single snipe. The team is three points off outright safety.

German striker Rouwen Hennings sits at the top of Dusseldorf’s scoring chart with 14 league markers, having banked three snipes in his last three Bundesliga appearances. Florian Kastenmeier, meanwhile, has recorded 45 saves, residing in the 20th place of the Bundesliga’s goalie table. He has bagged two clean sheets in 14 games this season, giving up a goal every 50 minutes on average. Die Flingeraner are bottom of the league in most goals buried this year (33), 14th in most shots delivered per game (12.3), 15th in ball possession (46.3%), and 9th in passing accuracy (77.6%).

Prediction

RB Leipzig is -385 favorites to bank a victory in this one. And for a good reason! The team has gone unbeaten versus Fortuna Dusseldorf in their last seven meetings, snatching five wins (W5 D2), while Die Flingeraner has dropped their last nine Bundesliga outings against the current top-five, allowing 30 goals in the process. Fortuna Dusseldorf has, however, lost just two of their past nine contests (W2 D5 L2), being beaten by more than one snipe in just one of those games. The Red Bulls, meanwhile, have posted just five victories by at least two strikes on their past 13 attempts, leaving Die Flingeraner as a good option to consider for a Handicap of +1.5.

Best bet:

Fortuna Dusseldorf (Handicap +1.5) (+115)

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