Red Bull Leipzig will lock horns with Liverpool at the Puskás Aréna on Tuesday night with both sides eager to get the better of each other in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last 16 tie. The German outfit has been playing some of the best football of their season of late after winning four successive matches across all competitions. In contrast, the Reds are going through a wretched run of form as they have lost their last three matches in the Premier League.
Talking Tactics
Julian Nagelsmann will set his players up in a 3-4-1-2 formation and will ask them to gain some control in midfield and cause some problems for the Liverpool defenders on the counter. The German club will also have to make sure than they don’t concede an away goal on Tuesday.
Jurgen Klopp will stick with his preferred 4-3-3 formation and could instruct his players to enjoy more of the ball and be more lethal in front of the opponent’s goal. It will be up to Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold to offer some width out on the flanks.
Team News
Red Bull Leipzig
Dominik Szoboszlai, Emil Forsberg, Konrad Laimer and Benjamin Henrichs are unlikely to feature in this European contest. Otherwise, Julian Nagelsmann doesn’t have too many other injury concerns to cope with in midweek.
Red Bull Leipzig Predicted XI
Gulacsi; Mukiele, Upamecano, Klostermann; Adams, Sabiter, Kampl, Olmo, Angelino; Poulsen, Nkunku
Liverpool
James Milner has joined Liverpool’s mounting injury list while both Naby Keita and Ben Davies are major doubts for this game. Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Virgil Van Dijk remain long-term absentees.
Liverpool Predicted XI
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Williams, Henderson, Robertson, Jones, Wijnaldum, Thiago, Salah, Firmino, Mane
Key Men
Red Bull Leipzig
Both Christopher Nkunku and Yussuf Poulsen will carry most of the goal-scoring workload for Leipzig up top. The defensive performance of Dayot Upamecano could very well end up determining the outcome of this contest.
Liverpool
Mohamed Salah will be Klopp’s best hope for a goal in midweek. Jordan Henderson will also have to lead his defence well to keep things solid at the back in the hopes of restricting the chances Leipzig create during the 90 minutes.
Odds
Leipzig are the slight favourites to emerge victorious in this game after the bookmakers priced them at evens. The draw has been listed at 13/5 while Jurgen Klopp’s men are 5/4 underdogs to secure a positive result in Budapest.
