Borussia Dortmund vs RB Leipzig: 10 things to look out for in ...

3 Mar 2023
Dortmund vs RB Leipzig

Imagine tuning in to the first season of Game of Thrones. Robert Baratheon starts off as ruler of the seven kingdoms and after 10 seasons of failed attempts on the throne, he still ends up wearing the crown. It doesn't make for much of a watch.

Over the last decade, due to the astounding success of serial champions Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga has become a repetitive and predictable spectacle. Sure, it's still adorned with world-class superstars, but fans have been crying out for new hero on the throne.

Last season's Bundesliga triumph marked Bayern Munich's 10th successive domestic title in a decade. Still no challenger has managed to usurp the German giants since Jurgen Klopp's title-winning feat with Borussia Dortmund back in 2012.

But this season feels different. Not only are Dortmund level on points with Bayern, blessed with a young and enviable squad including the likes of Jude Bellingham, Karim Adeyemi and Nico Schlotterbeck, but Union Berlin, RB Leipzig and Freiburg are also in the mix, no more than five points behind the league leaders.

If history has taught us one thing, it's that Dortmund and Leipzig have come closest to dethroning the Bundesliga juggernauts, and Friday's clash at Signal Iduna Park could provide the ideal launchpad for a genuine title challenge. Here's Sportsmail's 10 things to look out for ahead of the crucial six-pointer. 

RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku (L) and Dortmund's Jude Bellingham (R) will face off on Friday

The roaring Signal Iduna Park will host Dortmund's vital six-pointer against title rivals Leipzig

Wounded Dortmund will want revenge

Slumping to a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Leipzig in September, Dortmund will been keen to set the record straight on their home turf.

Willi Orban fired Leipzig ahead as early as the sixth minute, instantly forcing Dortmund to chase the game, and his Hungarian team-mate Dominik Szoboszlai doubled the lead before the break. 

Although BVB enjoyed the majority of possession throughout the second-half, they failed to register a single shot on target, and Leipzig compounded their misery late on through Amadou Haidara, who capped off his side's superb counter-attacking display.

One bitten, twice shy. Dortmund will no doubt be less naïve in Friday's reverse fixture.

Marco Reus (centre) and Dortmund will be desperate for revenge after losing 3-0 in September

Lethal Nkunku set for full Leipzig return

He may be off to Chelsea in the summer, but don't underestimate the value Christopher Nkunku could still have for Leipzig between now and the end of the season.

Despite suffering a knee ligament injury in January, the Frenchman is still joint-second in the Bundesliga goal-scoring charts behind Werder Bremen's Niclas Fullkrug and is back in contention to start against Dortmund, according to Leipzig boss Marco Rose.

'At some point, the day will come when we want Christopher's quality from the start. He's had a normal week of training and is an option,' Rose revealed on Thursday. 

Although Leipzig haven't particularly struggled in front of goal during his absence, Rose will be delighted to have his star man back ahead of such a vital contest.

Nkunku is the joint-second highest scorer in the Bundesliga so far this campaign with 12 goals

Brandt is on fire under Terzic

Basking in the wake of his Bundesliga Player of the Month award in January, attacking midfielder Julian Brandt took his tally to eight league goals for the season in Dortmund's 1-0 win against Hoffenheim last time out.

BVB fans knew someone had to step up after prolific hitman Erling Haaland left for Manchester City in the summer, and Brandt has proudly taken on the responsibility, leading his side into title contention as this season's top scorer at the club.

Since switching over to the right wing, the German playmaker has been on fire under Edin Terzic, netting four goals in his last four Bundesliga matches against Freiburg, Werder Bremen, Hertha Berlin and Hoffenheim.

Leipzig left-back Marcel Halstenberg will certainly have to keep his wits about him on Friday.

Julian Brandt cannot stop scoring at the moment - he's netted four goals in his last four games

Austrian duo tasked with keeping Bellingham quiet

The football world is running out of superlatives to describe Dortmund's superstar Jude Bellingham - he's been so good, even Bayern legend Philip Lahm urged that the England midfielder should win Bundesliga Player of the Year over Munich's frontrunner Jamal Musiala.

While a tough task, shackling Bellingham in midfield is often the best chance of stealing a result against Dortmund, who haven't dropped points in the league since November.

In their last defeat against Borussia Monchengladbach, defensive midfield trio Julian Weigl, Christoph Kramer and Kouadio Kone stayed compact and limited Bellingham's space in the engine room superbly, paralysing his ability to maraud forward or create with penetrative passes from deep.

If Rose lines up as he did in Leipzig's last big match against Manchester City in the Champions League, the task of keeping him quiet will lie with Austrian double pivot Xaver Schlager and Konrad Laimer.

Konrad Laimer (L) and Xaver Schlager (R) could be tasked with stopping Bellingham on Friday

Terzic may be forced into early subs 

Speaking of the Champions League, Dortmund will already have an eye on their crucial last-16 second leg against Chelsea on Tuesday, which could impact Terzic's lineup and strategy during Friday's clash.

With this being a monumental game in the title race, Terzic will almost certainly not make wholesale changes to his starting line-up, but the manager could well bring players off early in an effort to keep his squad well rested.

All goes well, and Terzic will find his side 3-0 up at half-time and cruising. He'll substitute the likes of Bellingham and Brandt, pat them on the back and wrap them up in cotton wool ready for Chelsea.

But if Leipzig hold firm in defence and fashion a tight and cagey 0-0 contest by the hour mark, Terzic will have a host of big decisions on his hands.

Dortmund boss Edin Terzic won't want his squad exhausted for Tuesday's clash with Chelsea

Werner's back amongst the goals

Despite scoring in his first league start for Leipzig since returning from Chelsea last summer, the German forward has failed to kick on and showcase the goal-scoring form he boasted during his first spell at the Red Bull Arena.

Rose will urge that his role extends far beyond finding the back of the net, but with club top scorer Nkunku absent since the World Cup, his lack of goals has seemed more glaring.

Finding form ahead of their trip to Rhineland, Werner bagged a goal and an assist during Leipzig's 2-1 over Eintracht Frankfurt last week, taking his tally to six for the season in the Bundesliga.

The ex-Chelsea star has shown a better goal return in Leipzig's other competitions this campaign, scoring six goals in nine matches across the Champions League and German Cup combined.

Timo Werner scored and assisted as Leipzig edged out a 2-1 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt

Dortmund still perfect since Haller's remarkable return

Forget football. So far, the greatest result in the Bundesliga this season has been Sebastien Haller's stunning recovery from testicular cancer.

The Dutch forward was diagnosed with the disease shortly after joining Dortmund last summer, undergoing two surgeries and chemotherapy before sensationally returning to training in January.

Haller completed his comeback by coming on as a substitute during Dortmund's 4-3 win against Augsburg on January 22 and has featured in every league match since, poetically scoring his first goal for the club on World Cancer Day versus Freiburg.

After nine matches in all competitions, the hitman still boasts a 100 per cent win record at the club, which does not bode well for Leipzig.

Sebastien Haller poetically scored on World Cancer Day after returning from testicular cancer

Rose relishes five-subs rule

So far in 2023, Rose has made 42 substitutions in just nine matches across all competitions. Simply put, if the manager doesn't make four of five changes in a game, something's the matter.

Active in his approach, Rose thrives on chopping and changing his personnel throughout matches and clearly trusts all players at his disposal.

Demanding a high press from the front and a fast tempo in midfield, the German needs his players at peak physical fitness, with plenty of fuel in the tank.

He'll hope to run Dortmund ragged in the first hour of the match, before turning to his trusted substitutes to strike the killer blow. 

Marco Rose (R) demands a lot from his Leipzig players and regularly rotates with substitutions 

Dortmund less potent without Adeyemi 

The youth development programme at Dortmund continues to be the envy of European football. Stacked with starlets in almost every position, Dortmund will continue to have plenty of young talent even if they sell Bellingham this summer, with Adeyemi, Mateu Morey, Gio Reyna, Youssoufa Moukoko and Immanuel Pherai all impressing at the club.

Adeyemi's proudest moment so far in black and yellow came as he fired home the winner during Dortmund's Champions League victory against Chelsea, but a hamstring injury in his next match against Hertha marred all momentum.

Although Dortmund came away from Hoffenheim with all three points last week, they lacked Adeyemi's clinical touch in front of goal, rippling the net just once from 25 shots and 11 shots on target.

While there's still a chance Adeyemi will be back for the second leg on Tuesday, Terzic would be crazy to rush back the 21-year-old against Leipzig. A crafty player with tidy finishing and pace in behind, he'll no doubt continue to be a massive miss for Dortmund.

Karim Adeyemi hobbled off with a hamstring injury during Dortmund's 4-1 win against Hertha

Attack and defence couldn't be closer

If an even game is what you're after, look no further than Friday's clash at Signal Iduna Park. Both title contenders have scored 45 goals and conceded 27 this season, holding identical records in both attack and defence.

Even breaking down the line-ups by position, there's little to separate the two sides. For example, Dortmund boast Germany's first-choice centre-back of the future in Schlotterbeck, while Leipzig have Josko Gvardiol, who is a priority target for several European giants this summer.

Bellingham is no doubt the pick of the midfielders, but arguably no Dortmund forward matches up to the goal-scoring prowess posed by Nkunku, who dazzled Terzic's side in the reverse fixture.

Staged under Dortmund lights and set to a thunderous score of chanting from the Yellow Wall, it's hard not to give the home side the edge. But don't count out Leipzig from blowing the title race wide open.

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