RB Leipzig will be desperate for three points, while Aston Villa will aim to continue a superb start to the Champions League campaign at the Red Bull Arena on Tuesday.
The UEFA Champions League resumes this week with Matchday 6 of the 2024/25 season. The action on Tuesday will start with two early games before ending with seven simultaneous matches, including RB Leipzig vs Aston Villa at the Red Bull Arena.
RB Leipzig could not have asked for a worse start to the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League. The German giants have endured a trial by fire in their first five European outings, facing Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Liverpool, Celtic, and Inter Milan thus far. So, while Marco Rose’s men have been solid in the Bundesliga, their Champions League hopes are in tatters.
As for Aston Villa, the visitors have been one of the most impressive teams in the UEFA Champions League this season. While the Villans have blown hot and cold in the Premier League this term, they have remained in touch of the top-four spots. However, things have been incredible in Europe, losing only once while being in contention to clinch an automatic berth in the knockout phase.
Tuesday’s clash will be the first-ever match featuring RB Leipzig and Aston Villa, and The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the maiden meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
RB Leipzig
Marco Rose has many injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The RB Leipzig manager will be bereft of the services of as many as seven first-team players vs Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Castello Lukeba would have served a suspension in this game but misses out due to a hamstring injury anyway. The French defender accompanies David Raum (ankle), Elif Elmas (hamstring), Assan Ouedraogo (thigh), El Chadaille Bitshiabu (muscular), Xavi Simons (ankle), and Yussuf Poulsen (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Peter Gulacsi should take his spot between the sticks, with RB Leipzig lining up in a 4-4-2 formation in front of him vs Aston Villa on Tuesday. The backline should feature Lutsharel Geertruida, Nicolas Seiwald, Willi Orban, and Benjamin Henrichs.
As for the midfield unit, Amadou Haidara and Arthur Vermeeren should pair up in the central areas, with Christoph Baumgartner and Antonio Nusa taking up the wide berths. Finally, Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda will spearhead the RB Leipzig attack against Aston Villa.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Gulacsi; Geertruida, Seiwald, Orban, Henrichs; Baumgartner, Haidara, Vermeeren, Nusa; Sesko, Openda
Aston Villa
Unlike his counterpart in the RB Leipzig dugout, Unai Emery has a new issue to worry about ahead of the trip to the Red Bull Arena. The Aston Villa manager will be without two first-team players on Tuesday.
Leon Bailey is the latest absentee, with the former Bayer Leverkusen winger picking up a thigh injury this past weekend against Southampton. The Jamaican international has joined Jacob Ramsey (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Emiliano Martinez is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Aston Villa lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs RB Leipzig on Tuesday. The backline should feature Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, and Lucas Digne.
As for the midfield unit, Boubacar Kamara should pair up with Youri Tielemans, with Amadou Onana being an option on the bench. Morgan Rogers will likely reprise the no. 10 role, with Jaden Philogene and John McGinn being the two wide attackers. Finally, there is no looking past Ollie Watkins as the central striker, with Jhon Duran coming on in the second half.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Philogene, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins
Key Stats
RB Leipzig and Aston Villa have never previously faced each other in Europe. However, the German giants have lost their last four matches against English sides in the UEFA Champions League, conceding 14 goals in those outings.
RB Leipzig have lost their five most recent UEFA Champions League matches, with each coming this season. A loss on Tuesday will lead to their longest-ever losing streak in the competition and the longest by a German side overall since Bayer Leverkusen in March 2003 (7).
After winning their first three UEFA Champions League games of 2024/25, Aston Villa have failed to win their two subsequent outings (D1 L1). The last time Unai Emery could not win three consecutive group/league phase games with a single club in the competition was in September-November 2015 with Sevilla (4).
German teams have lost all three matches against English clubs in the UEFA Champions League this season, all without scoring a goal: Aston Villa 1-0 Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig 0-1 Liverpool and Liverpool 4-0 Bayer Leverkusen.
RB Leipzig have averaged 386 high-intensity pressures per game in the UEFA Champions League this season; the second-most of any team in the tournament, only behind Sturm Graz (392.4). Meanwhile, Aston Villa have ranked 33rd out of 36 teams for high-intensity pressures per game in the competition this term (265.8).
Player to Watch
Benjamin Sesko
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Aston Villa’s star strikers were viable candidates for this section, while Lois Openda will be in the spotlight. However, we have picked Benjamin Sesko as our Player to Watch for the game between RB Leipzig and Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Sesko has been a rare bright spot for his team in the UEFA Champions League this term, scoring three of RB Leipzig’s four goals thus far. Among teams to have netted more than once, Sesko has accounted for a higher percentage of his team’s goals than any other player in 2024/25 (75%). So, how the Slovenian international fares on Tuesday will determine whether RB Leipzig can take the game to Aston Villa.
Prediction
RB Leipzig 1-2 Aston Villa
RB Leipzig might feel they are due to get the rub of the green after five frustrating UEFA Champions League outings thus far this term. However, things do not get easy for the home side, with Aston Villa regaining some form in the past week.
In addition, Marco Rose will be without several pivotal figures for the midweek European fixture, adding to his woes this week. While RB Leipzig will take the game to Aston Villa and create the situation for an evenly contested affair, the momentum should be with the away side. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Unai Emery and his charges.