Leipzig vs. Liverpool: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Liverpool and RB Leipzig will face off in Wednesday's Champions League league phase match at the Red Bull Arena. Jurgen Klopp will soon be in charge of both teams.

In this year's revamped tournament, the Reds have breezed past Bologna and AC Milan, while the Bundesliga hosts have failed to secure a single point.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

On Sunday, the Reds passed one of the most challenging tests of their Premier League championship credentials yet, as Arne Slot's revolution at Liverpool continued unabated. The Dutchman defeated Enzo Maresca in a fight with the newly baptized Premier League managers.

Liverpool reclaimed a one-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League and extended their winning streak under Slot to ten games, thanks to goals from a brilliant Mohamed Salah penalty and a scuffed attempt by Curtis Jones. Nicolas Jackson's excellent strike was little consolation for Chelsea.

Despite riding their luck on occasion and being lucky that the Rossoblu had left their shooting boots in the locker room, Liverpool has won two of its three European matches against Italian opponents. On matchday two, it overcame Bologna 2-0, building on its 3-1 victory over AC Milan.

Although they have a tough test on Sunday against title rivals Arsenal, which promises to be a thrilling encounter, the Merseyside giants are now enjoying pure bliss as they strive for an unprecedented eighth win in as many tournaments as possible. They currently sit fifth in the 36-team UCL standings.

In addition, Liverpool has not lost a Champions League road game against a German team since the 2001–02 season, and Slot has led the Reds to victory in all five of their away games thus far, with three shutouts and just two goals allowed.

In February 2021, when Klopp was coaching Liverpool, they won 2-0 at the Red Bull Arena. However, starting in January, the German will aid Wednesday's hosts with operations as he agrees to become Red Bull's new Global Head of Soccer.

Despite facing legendary opponents in Atletico Madrid and Juventus in 2024–25, Marco Rose's squad might benefit from some European motivation from the 2019 Champions League winner. They have a record of 0–2 in European play.

Die Roten Bullen came close in their two matches against Atletico, losing only to a Jose Gimenez goal in the final minute. However, in their two games against Juventus, they let a one-goal lead slip twice, ultimately losing 3-2 to the Bianconeri, who Dusan Vlahovic spurred.

Even though Juve lost Bremer, a crucial defender, to injury in the first seven minutes of the match and goalie Michele Di Gregorio was sent off in the last thirty minutes, they scored twice more despite being down a man as Leipzig collapsed catastrophically.

Since then, Rose's squad has been performing better, winning their last two Bundesliga matches and keeping two clean sheets. However, they are now in danger of becoming the first team in Champions League history to lose three consecutive games despite scoring the first goal in each of those games.

Leipzig x Liverpool Team News

The victory against Chelsea wasn't without its price, however. Diogo Jota only lasted thirty minutes before being taken out by a tackle from Tosin Adarabioyo. Slot would be shocked if the Portugal international was selected for Wednesday's match.

The unfortunate Federico Chiesa is still questionable, youthful right-back Conor Bradley was inexplicably left off of the matchday roster vs Liverpool, while Alisson Becker (hamstring) and Harvey Elliott (foot) are also occupying spots in the injury room.

The Dutchman's revelation that Trent Alexander-Arnold was also doubtful before the game nearly caused Slot to have a right-back dilemma; as a result, Joe Gomez may have a surprise starting role in defense if the Liverpool manager decides to rest Alexander-Arnold before the Arsenal incident.

Lois Openda, Leipzig's leading scorer, took a knock in the last moments of the Mainz win. Still, the Belgian downplayed the severity of the injury and said he would be ready for Wednesday's match so that Rose may relate to Slot's fears about new offensive issues.

Xaver Schlager (ACL), David Raum (ligament), Nicolas Seiwald (groin), and Assan Ouedraogo (knee) are all under the supervision of the physicians; the same is true for Amadou Haidara, who also had an injury scare in the second half of the triumph over the weekend.

Openda, Xavi Simons, and Benjamin Sesko—who has scored all three of Leipzig's goals in the Champions League so far—will make a frightening-looking front three, barring any recurrence of his injury.

Our Predictions

Liverpool to win @ 1.86 on Sky247.ng

Although Mainz and Heidenheim aren't quite the same as Liverpool, and the Reds have our pick to make it 11 from 12 under Slot, Leipzig has strengthened their defenses since Juventus' surrender.

Leipzig has let in a record-breaking 17 goals in the last 10 minutes of Champions League games since the start of the 2019–20 season, so, unsurprisingly, this one will be decided in the last minute.

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