RB Leipzig host Hamburger SV at the Red Bull Arena on Sunday, September 13, at 15:30 local time. Manager Marco Rose's side urgently needs points after two consecutive defeats to avoid falling behind in the Bundesliga.

The Saxons currently sit 12th in the table with three points from two games, already six points behind leaders SC Freiburg. The most recent setback was a heavy 4-1 defeat to Italian side Como in a midweek fixture. Prior to that, they lost 3-1 away to Werder Bremen in the league. Their two victories this season were a 3-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach and a 6-0 DFB-Pokal triumph at third-division side Eintracht Trier.

Team News for RB Leipzig

Christoph Baumgartner and Rocco Reitz remain sidelined with thigh injuries, with returns expected around the end of the month. Against Como, Rose fielded a 4-4-2 formation with Maarten Vandevoordt in goal. The back four consisted of Ridle Baku, Willi Orbán, Castello Lukeba and David Raum. Andrija Maksimović, Nassim El Aynaoui and Nicolas Seiwald played in midfield, with Antonio Nusa and Marc Guiu on the wings. Christopher Nkunku led the line as striker. Maksimović scored Leipzig's sole goal in Como, assisted by Nkunku.

The Opposition's Situation

Hamburger SV arrives in Leipzig on a poor run of form themselves. The Hanseatic club lost their last Bundesliga match 5-0 to Mainz 05 and were beaten 2-0 in Dortmund before that. Manager Tim Walter is dealing with several absences. Striker Alexander Røssing-Lelesiit is out with an ankle injury, while Immanuel Pherai and Kofi Jeremy Amoako are ill. In defence, Sebastiaan Bornauw is out with a muscle injury and Warmed Omari has a shoulder problem. Against Mainz, Hamburg played a 3-4-2-1 formation with Daniel Heuer Fernandes in goal. The back three was Nicolás Capaldo, Bornauw and Jordan Torunarigha. Ziad El Ouahdi, Bilal Nadir, Noah Remberg and David Wolfe formed the midfield, with Mathys Adeline and Albert Grønbaek operating behind striker Terem Moffi.

A Key Matchday

This home game is significant for RB Leipzig to stabilise their inconsistent early-season form. A victory could push the team up the crowded mid-table area. The full overview of the current standings is available on our standings page. The next challenge comes quickly, with an away trip to currently sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen on September 20. The detailed schedule for the coming weeks is on our fixtures list.

Rose will need to prepare his team to find solutions against a Hamburg side likely to defend deep. The opponent's injury woes may benefit Leipzig, but their own efficiency in front of goal must improve markedly after recent performances. The last five competitive matches have yielded two wins and three defeats.