MY ACCOUNT
With just one point between them from the opening two matchdays, both RB Leipzig and Celtic know they cannot afford any more slip-ups on Wednesday if they are going to force their way into the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Leipzig’s 4-1 home defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk resulted in Domenico Tedesco being sacked and while they also fell to 2-0 defeat to champions Real Madrid, there have been signs of improvement in their domestic results under new boss Marco Rose.
Celtic were beaten 3-0 at home to Madrid and were perhaps unfortunate not to have claimed three points when they has to settle for a 1-1 draw against Shakhtar in Warsaw, but their need for points should ensure they are positive in Germany.
Team news
Rose saw his team defeat Bundesliga’s bottom side Bochum 4-0 on Saturday and it seems unlikely that he will make any changes after that success.
They are strong in attack with Christopher Nkunku bouncing back to form with two goals in that victory and he looks set to be part of the France squad that will start their defence of the World Cup next month.
Timo Wener also seems to be more comfortable back at home after rejoining the club following his unsuccessful spell in the Premier League with Chelsea.
Celtic are sweating on the fitness of former Tottenham defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, who has missed the Bhoys’ last two matches.
He will face a late fitness test but Carl Starfelt is still unavailable.
The stats
Red Bull Leipzig are 11th in the Bundesliga but they have the best home record in the German top-flight, having gained three wins and a draw from their four league matches at the Red Bull Arena this season.
They have scored at least twice in four of their five home matches in all competitions and preceded their win over Bochum with an impressive 3-0 success over Borussia Dortmund.
Celtic meanwhile saw their 38-match unbeaten Scottish Premiership run end with a 2-0 defeat at St Mirren recently and they have been poor travellers in Europe lately.
The Bhoys have won just one of their last nine Champions League group-stage away matches and won just one of their last six in any European competition.
Prediction
Both teams are desperate for points to try and force their way into the qualification picture, but it looks as if RB Leipzig will have cause to celebrate on Wednesday evening.
The Bundesliga side look to have turned the corner under new boss Rose and their recent home record is impressive enough to suggest that they should be able to see off Celtic.
Ange Postecoglou’s team have not been firing lately as they demonstrated in their defeat to St Mirren and they made hard work of seeing off Motherwell at home in the league on Saturday.
Their performance against Shakhtar in Warsaw was a sign of encouragement and they should be positive, so goals are likely at the Red Bull Arena, but expect Leipzig to be the team who come out on top.
