Darmstadt vs RB Leipzig

Darmstadt and RB Leipzig are set to trade tackles in their first Bundesliga encounter since 2017 at the Merck-Stadion am Bollenfalltor.

Newly-promoted Darmstadt had just found their feet in the Bundesliga when the October international break halted their progress. After going winless in their first five league games on their top-flight return (D1, L2), the hosts have managed back-to-back wins by a combined score of 6-3, netting precisely two second-half goals on both occasions. However, making it three Bundesliga wins in a row for the first time since their 2016/17 relegation campaign will be hard to achieve, not least because they’ve lost five of the six all-time encounters against Leipzig (W1, L5). Regardless of the outcome, this should be a fun contest, with each of Darmstadt’s three Bundesliga home games this season featuring over 4.5 goals and both teams scoring (W1, D1, L1).

On the other hand, Leipzig missed penalties on either side of halftime in a gut-wrenching 0-0 home draw against Bochum last time out, losing further ground on table-topping Bayer Leverkusen. After losing 3-2 at Leverkusen on the opening weekend, Marco Rose’s men had won four league games in succession, only to draw the last two, falling five points behind the leaders. While ‘Die Roten Bullen’ must be keen to return to the scoresheet after their first scoring blank of the season, their new-found defensive resilience can make Rose proud. The visitors have won their last two away league games ‘to nil,’ which has been the case on two of their three previous visits to Darmstadt (L1).