RB Leipzig vs Freiburg
Red Bull Arena, Leipzig
Saturday, 16-05-2020 @4:30pm
Ref: Tobies Stieler
RB Leipzig will be hoping to keep up pace with leaders Bayern Munich when the German Bundesliga returns.
Julian Nagelsmann’s are currently five points off the pace and went into the break on a run of two successive draws. However, they beat Tottenham Hotspurs 3-0 in their last fixture and will be hoping to carry that momentum into a clash that may prove hard to negotiate.
What is for certain is that Leipzig will need star man Timo Werner fit and firing right from the off if they are to remain hot on the heels of Bayern, who have the disadvantage of playing the following day.
With six clean sheets in their last seven matches in all competitions, Nagelsmann’s men have a perfect platform to push on over the remaining weeks of this disjointed season.
Freiburg will not make things easy for their opponents, though, having returned to winning ways themselves last time out with a 3-1 home victory over Union Berlin.
That win lifted Christian Streich’s side into eighth place, just a point behind Schalke 04 in seventh place, which is enough for a Europa League qualifying berth.
However, Freiburg were being discussed as possible top-four outsiders following a strong start to the season that saw them occupy fourth place after game week 12.
They have since won only four of their last 13 matches, including that battling victory at home to Union on March 7.
Werner was struggling with a thigh injury in March but is understood to be fully recovered in time for the big Bundesliga restart. Fellow attacker Emil Forsberg has tonsillitis and is expected to sit this one out, however, and in-demand defender Dayot Upamecano is suspended. There are also doubts over the fitness of Marcel Sabitzer and Patrick Schick, who have unspecified minor injuries, while Ibrahima Konate is not fully fit but should still start.
For Freiburg, Christian Gunter and Manuel Gulde have recovered from respective muscle and ankle injuries. Lukas Kubler underwent knee surgery earlier this year and is still on the comeback trail, though Streich otherwise has a fully fit squad to choose from.
Freiburg defeat Leipzig 2-1 when the two sides met earlier this season. This fixture has produced six successive wins with Freiburg yet to register a victory at Leipzig.
The other Bundesliga games this weekend
Saturday, 16-05-2020
-Dortmund vs Schalke O4 @4:30pm
-Hoffenheim vs Hertha Berlin @4:30pm
-Dusseldorf vs Paderbon @4:30pm
-Augsburg vs Wolfsburg @4:30pm
-Frankfurt vs Monchengladbach @7:30pm
Sunday, 17-05-2020
-Koln vs Mainz @4:30pm
-Union Berlin vs Bayern @7pm
Monday, 18-05-2020
-Werder Bremen vs Bayer Leverkusen @9:30pm
