Red Bull Leipzig vs. Zenit St Petersburg – Prediction (23.10.2019)

Preview and Teams Comparison.

RB Leipzig and Zenit St Petersburg faced in the last 16 of the 2017-18 Europa League, with Leipzig progressing 3-2 on aggregate. RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner is yet to score a home UEFA Champions League goal – he has had 12 shots in home games without success but has scored with five of his eight shots in away games. Zenit’s only previous away match in European competition against RB Leipzig was in the first leg of the last 16 of the Europa League in March 2018, losing 2-1.

RB Leipzig’s 1-1 draw at the weekend has them entering this Champions League (CL) clash on a four-game winless home run (D2, L2 – in all competitions) for the first time since October 2011. With just two clean sheets from 11 competitive matches this term, and having never recorded one in the CL (W3, D1, L4), home fans may be waiting a little longer to get back to winning ways. Timo Werner has scored the opener in the last four Leipzig games he’s netted in – including CL matchday one. All three of their previous CL victories therefore saw both teams score, which has also been the case in seven of their last nine competitive wins. However, considering Leipzig have been losing at half-time in their last five competitive home defeats, keeping things tight until the break will be a priority.

Five of Leipzig’s last six matches have seen at least one goal after the 75th minute. Zenit are winless in their last ten European away fixtures (D3, L7). The opener has been scored by the 25th minute in four of Zenit’s last five games.

Group G leaders Zenit St Petersburg have won their last three matches by at least a two-goal margin despite both teams scoring, and have been leading at half-time in all five of their away league victories this term. Sardar Azmoun has scored in both of Zenit’s CL games – he’s netted a first-half opener in three of the last four away games he’s scored in. Although without a clean sheet in their last four competitive away games (W2, D1, L1), or the only two previous H2Hs versus Leipzig (D1, L1), they have shown real potency in front of goal this season, netting 2.08 goals per league match. Their average across their last ten CL games, however, is 1.8.

Match Info and Live Scores.

Pre-match League Table.