RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose will hope to keep up his side's winning momentum and save his job on Saturday when his team travel to face Holstein Kiel at Holstein-Stadion in their 13th Bundesliga match of their 2024-25 campaign.
The hosts are second last in 17th place with just five points and were beaten 3-1 by St Pauli in the league on November 29, while Rose's team are fourth with 21 points but are in dire form despite their 3-0 victory in the DFB-Pokal against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.
Match preview
Holstein Kiel will perhaps feel they should have taken at least a point against St Pauli considering they missed a 45th-minute penalty in the first half when their opponents were only winning 1-0.
The Storks' position in the table is alarming, with the club occupying one of two automatic relegation spots, and they are already five points from 15th-placed St Pauli, who are the first team outside both the automatic relegation zone and relegation playoff spot.
Though boss Marcel Rapp's team are not among the three worst offensive side's in the top flight having scored 13 times, they still hold the division's second-worst defensive record having conceded on 31 occasions.
Rapp's team are in poor form, with the club losing their last three games, as well as three of the prior four.
While Holstein Kiel have at least won one of their three most recent home matches, they have been beaten in five of their six home fixtures this season.
Meanwhile, the visitors' victory against Eintracht Frankfurt would have come as welcome relief to Rose, who experienced a win in the dugout for the first time in seven games.
Rose has come under significant pressure in recent weeks, with the club having lost five and drawn one of the prior six matches to the win against the Eagles.
Die Roten Bullen have been especially poor defensively in that period considering they conceded 15 times in that winless streak, including five against Wolfsburg in a 5-1 Bundesliga defeat on November 30.
Following the win against the Eagles, Rose was defiant, saying: "Maybe no one believed that we could still do it. If your back is against the wall, then there's only one direction. And luckily we found it today."
Leipzig have lost their four most recent away outings by a cumulative score of 10-5, although while they have lost their last two Bundesliga matches on the road, they were unbeaten in the previous 10 having won seven and drawn three.
Team News
Holstein Kiel will be without defenders Timo Becker, Patrick Erras and Colin Kleine-Bekel.
Expect centre-backs Marko Ivezic, Carl Johansson and Max Geschwill to shield goalkeeper Timon Weiner.
Midfielder Marvin Schulz is a doubt due to illness, while forward Alexander Bernhardsson is likely to miss out, and this could mean Lewis Holtby, Magnus Knudsen and Nicolai Remberg start in a midfield three behind strikers Steven Skrzybski and Phil Harres.
As for Leipzig, they will have to contend with the absences of centre-backs El Chadaille Bitshiabu and Castello Lukeba, as well as full-back David Raum.
Rose will almost certainly select a back four consisting of Lutsharel Geertruida, Willi Orban, Lukas Klostermann and Benjamin Henrichs.
Elsewhere, midfielders Eljif Elmas and Forzan Assan Ouedraogo are also ruled out, while attackers Xavi Simons and Yussuf Poulsen will not be in the matchday squad.
Leipzig could select a double pivot featuring Arthur Vermeeren and Kevin Kampl, with the pair playing behind strikers Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda.
Holstein Kiel possible starting lineup:
Weiner; Ivezic, Johansson, Geschwill; Rosenboom, Holtby, Knudsen, Remberg, Puchacz; Skrzybski, Harres
RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:
Gulacsi; Geertruida, Klostermann, Orban, Henrichs; Baumgartner, Vermeeren, Kampl, Nusa; Sesko, Openda
We say: Holstein Kiel 1-3 RB Leipzig
Though Leipzig have been in poor form, it is difficult to see them failing to achieve victory given the struggles of their hosts.
Leipzig could start the game nervously given they will head into the clash as favourites, but their quality should be enough to take home all three points.
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