RB Leipzig – Dortmund

Leipzig’s odds for success seem too low

The German Cup quarter-final pairing was a perfect replica of the 2020/2021 final. The only difference was that the encounter took place on neutral ground in Berlin. Leipzig reached the current stage almost without problems. The Bulls smashed Teutonia Ottenzen (8-0) in the first round, then easily beat Hamburg (4-0) at home. At the last stage, Leipzig were visited by Hoffenheim, who were beaten 3-1. That's not to say that Borussia Dortmund's path was much more difficult. In the 1/32 finals, the BVB thrashed Munich 1860 away (3-0) before defeating Hannover 2-0 at home. At the beginning of February, the Dortmund side visited Bochum, where they outplayed the eponymous club 2-1 in a rather difficult encounter. Before the meeting at the Red Bull Arena, both opponents are among the top 3 title contenders along with Bayern, and the bookmakers believe the home side are the favourites to win the match at 2.25 odds. Leipzig approach the cup encounter with three defeats in a row. And all three defeats are extremely painful. First, the Bulls were beaten 0-7 at the Etihad, and then, in the league, they lost to the rather modest Bochum and Mainz with a combined score of 0-4. Events suggest that Marco Roze is slowly losing the thread of command of the team. The aforementioned results led to the Bulls' relegation from the Champions League and the Bundesliga Top 4. On the one hand, it is high time for Leipzig to pull themselves together and beat a serious opponent. On the other hand, are Rosé's charges capable of dramatically rectifying the disappointing course of the season? Nkunku, Gulaci, Diallo and Schlager are still unable to take the field. Borussia have also experienced painful situations in recent weeks, but this team have not lost face. Last Saturday's defeat to Bayern was the first in eleven Bundesliga outings played in 2023. "The Bumblebees are just two points behind Bayern in the league, and they beat their upcoming opponents 2-1 just a month ago. The Dortmund side are unlikely to lose in regulation time in the upcoming quarter-final.