RB Leipzig Aim for Strong Win Against Struggling Schalke
RB Leipzig head to Gelsenkirchen this weekend sensing opportunity. Schalke, newly promoted and already peering anxiously at the relegation zone, look like the kind of opponent a Champions League-chasing side should put away – and put away heavily.
Leipzig have the firepower. Schalke have the scars.
Schalke back in the big time – and already under pressure
The return to the Bundesliga was supposed to feel like a revival. Instead, after seven games, it feels uncomfortably familiar for Schalke.
One win. None of them at home. Four league matches without victory. And a place lodged in the relegation places once again.
Miron Muslic earned huge credit for last season’s Bundesliga 2 title and promotion, but the step up has been unforgiving. His side have not won since club football resumed after the international break, and the Veltins-Arena crowd has yet to see a league victory.
There was one early jolt of optimism: a dogged, goalless draw against Bayern Munich in just their second game back in the top flight. That night, Schalke defended with desperation and discipline, clung on, and walked away with a point that felt like a statement.
Muslic will need a similar level of resistance now, against another side that lives at the sharp end of the table.
Leipzig hunting the top four
RB Leipzig arrive in fifth, hovering just outside the Champions League places but well within striking distance. They trail Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen by a single point and sit five behind Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
Martin Demichelis, appointed in the summer, has steered them into promising territory. The performances have not been flawless, but they have been forceful.
Confidence should be high. Leipzig swept aside Elversburg 4-0 in the league last weekend, then backed it up in midweek with a DFB-Pokal win away to RW Essen. Those back-to-back victories have restored rhythm and underlined the depth of attacking options at Demichelis’ disposal.
With margins at the top so tight, this trip to Gelsenkirchen feels less like a routine away day and more like a mandatory three points for a team with European ambitions.
Form, history and a clear favourite
Both sides carry unwanted streaks into this fixture.
Schalke, as mentioned, are still waiting for a home league win and have only one victory from seven Bundesliga outings. Leipzig, for all their quality, are still searching for their first league win on the road this season and have alternated between wins and losses in the top flight.
Something has to give.
The head-to-head record points firmly in one direction. Leipzig have won the last five meetings between these clubs. They have not lost at this venue since 2017. When the sides meet, the pattern has been clear: Leipzig impose themselves, Schalke suffer.
Given that backdrop, backing the visitors to take all three points feels less like a gamble and more like the logical read of the matchup.
Goals almost guaranteed
If there is one thing Leipzig have delivered consistently this season, it is chaos in the scoreline.
They have scored 20 goals in seven league matches, an average of 2.86 per game. Only Bayern Munich have found the net more often. Demichelis’ side attack in waves, with threats from wide, from midfield, and from the bench.
The flip side? Their defending away from home has been porous. Leipzig have conceded 11 goals in just three Bundesliga road games – a staggering 3.67 per match. Their home fixtures are averaging 4.5 goals, their away games 4.33. Wherever they go, the scoreboard gets a workout.
This fixture has followed the same script in recent years. Five of the last six meetings have produced more than three goals. Chances, and usually goals, arrive in bunches.
Schalke’s own numbers hint at a breakthrough. They have yet to score at home this season, but their expected goals figure of 7.21 suggests significant underperformance in front of goal. The gap of 3.21 between xG and actual goals points to a side creating but not converting – a trend that rarely lasts forever.
Against a Leipzig defence that wobbles on its travels, this could be the afternoon Schalke finally find the net in front of their own fans. It may not be enough to change the result, but it could help turn this into another high-scoring contest.
Baumgartner back – and dangerous
Amid all the attacking options Leipzig boast, one name stands out right now: Christoph Baumgartner.
The Austrian’s season has barely started due to a thigh injury that kept him out for much of the early campaign. Demichelis has handled him carefully, restricting his minutes and easing him back into competitive action.
Even in that limited time, Baumgartner has made himself impossible to ignore. Three appearances. Three goals. One assist. Every outing has come with a tangible contribution.
In midweek, he offered his clearest statement yet. Given just under half an hour in the DFB-Pokal tie, he scored twice and finished with three shots – more than any other player on the pitch in that short spell. He even passed up a big chance, which only underlined how often he found himself in scoring positions.
That kind of impact usually earns a start. If Demichelis feels he is ready to go from the first whistle in Gelsenkirchen, Schalke’s back line will have another serious problem to solve.
With Leipzig’s attack humming and Baumgartner already in the habit of making his minutes count, few players look more likely to leave their mark on this game.
Predicted scoreline and key figures
All signs point toward an open, attacking match with Leipzig on the front foot and Schalke forced to chase.
A 4-1 away win would fit the trends: Leipzig’s goal glut, Schalke’s defensive frailties, and the hosts finally breaking their home scoring drought without ever really threatening the outcome.
For Schalke, Adil Aouchiche carries creative responsibility and could be the one to profit if the ball finally starts bouncing their way in the box.
For Leipzig, the threat spreads across the front line. Romulo offers cutting edge, Baumgartner arrives late and finishes clinically, El Aynaoui can drive from midfield, and young Tidiam Gomis adds another layer of menace.
If Leipzig are serious about the Champions League chase, this is the kind of afternoon where they must be ruthless – and where the scoreline might say as much about their ambitions as the three points themselves.
