RB Leipzig host Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on matchday 20, with both teams, in the top four at present.
RB Leipzig are sitting two spots behind Union Berlin inside the UEFA Champions League qualification spots. Union Berlin, meanwhile, are just trailing by one point for the top place in the league.
It is a very important fixture for both sides as it will determine who takes the upper hand in contending for the title this season. Below we look at some of the stats for the teams from the current season, which can help determine the most likely outcome of the match.
Overall comparison
The visual above shows the percentile rank of both Leipzig and Union Berlin compared to other teams in the Bundesliga. RB Leipzig have better stats than Berlin in possession, final-third entries, key passes, and shots per game. Berlin, on the other hand, have done well at making crosses and depends heavily on crosses in the box. Overall, based on the above, Leipzig seems to have the upper hand over their opponents.
RB Leipzig are currently in 4th place in the 2022–23 German Bundesliga, with 36 points from 19 matches played. They have won ten matches, drawn six, and lost three. They have scored 39 goals (32.6 xG) and conceded 24 goals (22.2 xGA). Leipzig have scored most of their goals from inside the box, but as can also be seen in the above viz, the team has around seven goals from outside the box. The top scorer for RB Leipzig in the 2022–23 German Bundesliga is Christopher Nkunku with 12 goals (8.92 xG). The team averages 12.58 shots per match with 42.3% accuracy.
Union Berlin are currently in 2nd place in the 2022–23 German Bundesliga, with 39 points from 19 matches played. They have won 12 matches, drawn three, and lost four. They have scored 33 goals (19.92 xG) and conceded 23 goals (19.2 xGA). They average 10.89 shots per 90, with 37.2% shot accuracy. Most of their goals have come from inside the box, and they also manage to find the target from long range.
High pressure and defensive success
The above two visuals represent the ranking of teams in the Bundesliga based on their percentage of defensive duel wins and success in making recoveries in the opponent’s half. It can be seen that both teams are close to each other when it comes to successful defensive duels (53% success rate). On average, Leipzig attempts 63.05 defensive duels and makes 44.26 interceptions per 90 versus 65 defensive duels and 41.74 interceptions per 90 for Berlin.
In terms of recoveries in the opponent’s half, Leipzig are ranked fourth in the Bundesliga, averaging 87.21 recoveries per 90, of which 11.0 are in the opponent’s half. Meanwhile, Union Berlin are the lowest-ranked side and averages only 7.0 recoveries in the opposition’s half per match out of a total of 91.32 recoveries per 90.
Key player
In the 2022–23 German Bundesliga season, Sheraldo Becker played 19 matches. He has 15 shots on target from a total of 23 and has scored seven goals (2.56 xG). Sheraldo Becker averages 14 passes per match with a pass completion rate of 64% and has four assists. He has been influential for his side and will be a key player for Union Berlin for the remainder of the season.
Team news
Dani Olmo and Christopher Nkunku will be sidelined for Leipzig, which is a huge loss for the team. Meanwhile, Andras Schafer is the only player missing for Union Berlin, with the rest of the squad up for selection.
Overall, Union Berlin will look to grab all three points and build pressure on the top. Leipzig are also contenders for the top four this season and surely have the will to make it through this match despite missing one of their key players. It will be an interesting clash, and it remains to be seen which team comes out on top.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
