MatchOpposition lowdown: RB Leipzig

The Reds' next league-phase fixture sees them travel to Germany to Red Bull Arena for an 8pm BST kick-off against Marco Rose's outfit.

For an in-depth insight on what to expect from the hosts, Liverpoolfc.com spoke to footballtransfers.com Bundesliga expert Ronan Murphy.

Read on for his lowdown on Die Roten Bullen...

Thank you for taking some time out to chat to us, Ronan. Firstly, could you just give us a brief overview of the start to the season for Leipzig domestically...

RB Leipzig are unbeaten so far in the Bundesliga, having started the season with narrow wins over Bochum and Bayer Leverkusen. The away win at Leverkusen was a statement win for the Red Bulls, ending the German champions' unbeaten streak in the league, as Xabi Alonso's men had recorded the first-ever invincible season in the Bundesliga in 2023-24. That looked to establish Leipzig as Bayern Munich's main title rivals this season, but then they faltered against both Union Berlin and St Pauli, being held to 0-0 draws in both.

Since then, they've kicked things into gear much more, conceding zero goals but starting to see their young attack shine once again, particularly against Augsburg, where all three of Benjamin Sesko, Lois Openda and Xavi Simons were on the scoresheet. Now they're level with fellow unbeaten side Bayern at the top of the table, keeping pressure on Vincent Kompany's men early in the season.

And how have they fared in Europe so far?

Undefeated domestically, RB Leipzig are winless in Europe. Only Harry Kane scored more goals than Benjamin Sesko after two matchdays of the league phase, but his three strikes counted for little as the Red Bulls lost 2-1 at Atletico Madrid and then twice lost the lead at home against 10-man Juventus to end up on the losing side in a five-goal thriller.

With games against Inter Milan and Aston Villa on the horizon, Marco Rose will be determined to make the next two games against Liverpool and Celtic count or else face elimination from the competition. Failure to reach the knockout stage would be a disaster for Leipzig, particularly as there is no consolation of Europa League this season through the league phase, and the Red Bulls have featured in the business end of Europe's top two competitions every season for the past five seasons.

Who are Leipzig's key players? Is there anyone Liverpool fans should be keeping an eye out for in particular?

Obviously, Benjamin Sesko is the man providing the goals for RB Leipzig this season, and looks to have put his disappointing end to Euro 2024 behind him with some cool, composed finishes in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

However, Xavi Simons is Leipzig's key player. The 21-year-old Dutch attacker has returned to Saxony for a second loan spell from PSG despite interest from some of Europe's biggest teams. RB Leipzig have no purchase option in the deal, but Simons is such a prodigious talent, having him for an extra season was worth agreeing to a deal which had nothing other than short-term gain.

Leipzig's biggest summer signing was Antonio Nusa for €21m from Club Brugge, but Red Bull are reluctant to put too much pressure on the teenager's shoulders and he is being eased into the side rather than being expected to contribute immediately.

What do you think the view from Leipzig will be ahead of the game with Liverpool?

RB Leipzig's home game with Liverpool is the biggest game of their season so far. The win away at Bayer Leverkusen was a great achievement for the Red Bulls, but a defeat there would not have been disastrous. Three defeats from three games in the Champions League, on the other hand, could end their European campaign almost as soon as it had started and give them a mountain to climb in the remaining fixtures.

Expectations are not super-high given Liverpool's stature as one of the best teams in European Cup history, but there is a belief that this young RB team can cause an upset at the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday night.

Can you give us an insight into manager Marco Rose's preferred style of play? What formation does he usually opt for?

Traditionally Red Bull clubs have played a 4-2-2-2 formation, passed down from RB head coach to RB coach after architect Ralf Rangnick. Premier League fans might remember Ralph Hasenhuttl having some success with this at Southampton, and Rose utilises a similar strategy to this when he's not shifting to a 3-4-2-1 approach.

Leipzig usually attack through rapid counters and press high, but so far this season that has not been as evident as usual thanks to the calibre of Leipzig's Bundesliga opponents, who often defended in a low block to force Leipzig to play more patiently. Liverpool should afford the Red Bulls more space in attack, which their dynamic trio of Sesko, Openda and Simons will relish.

And, lastly, what would your predicted line-up be for the match?

Rose's 3-4-2-1 worked to great effect against Bayer Leverkusen, and after seeing the 4-4-2 fail in the first two Champions League games, he could use it again against Liverpool. The weekend's fixture against Mainz saw Leipzig line up in 3-4-2-1 again, earning them another win as well as a clean sheet.

Predicted RB Leipzig line-up: Gulacsi, Orban, Klostermann, Lukeba, Geertruida, Haidara, Vermeeren, Nusa, Simons, Sesko, Openda.

• Read more from Ronan Murphy on footballtransfers.com