Champions League Odds: RB Leipzig vs. Man City prediction, pick, how to watch
On Wednesday, a two-game schedule to end the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 will be held, including this game between hosts RB Leipzig and the visiting Manchester City at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany. Join us as we continue our Champions League odds series, where we make our RB Leipzig-Man City prediction and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Blues will be seeking revenge at the Red Bull Arena after losing their previous visit 2-1 in the group stage of last season’s competition.
After losing their opening matches to Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid, the Red Bulls bounced back to win their four remaining games to qualify as runners-up for Group F.
Here are the RB Leipzig-Man Citysoccer odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Champions League Odds: RB Leipzig-Man City Odds
Red Bull Leipzig: +330
Manchester City: -120
Draw: +270
Over 2.5 Goals: -134
Under 2.5 Goals: +110
How to Watch RB Leipzig vs. Man City
TV: CBS, DAZN, TUDN USA, UniMas, Univision Now
Stream: fuboTV, Paramount+, TUDN App, ViX+
Time: 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT
*Watch soccer LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why RB Leipzig Can Beat Man City
RB Leipzig is currently in fifth place in the Bundesliga standings. The German domestic title is still up for grabs, as current first-placer Bayern Munich is tied with Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin while sixth-ranked Eintracht Frankfurt is just five points away. Leipzig is also headed to the DFB Pokal, facing BVB in the quarterfinals on April.
Heading into this match, the hosts carry some momentum. They recently won against VfL Wolfsburg by a comfortable 0-3 scoreline, with Emil Forsberg, Konraid Laimer, and Dominik Szobszlai tallying the goals. This now brings Leipzig’s goals finished to 43, the third-best mark in Germany’s top flight. Prior to that match, Leipzig was defeated by Union Berlin 1-2, bringing an end to the Red Bulls’ 18-game unbeaten streak from October to February; including three friendly games versus Mlada Boleslav, AC Horsens, and Radomiak Radom, that streak is an impressive 21 wins in a row.
Marco Rose’s side hopes to deliver an impressive game back here on familiar territory. Leipzig has 23 points in 10 matches played on home ground with a +14 goal-differential, which gives the team the third-best home record in the Bundesliga. Their last two home games in the Champions League group stage featured a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid and a 3-1 outing versus Celtic. As a team, RB Leipzig puts up 14 shots, 4.9 corners, and 57.2% ball possession in the Bundesliga. Christopher Nkunku leads the team with 12 goals while Szoboszlai is the leading assist-maker with eight.
Die Roten Bullen – who lost to Rangers in the Europa League semi-finals last campaign– hopes to replicate their home triumph over Man City last season, which saw Szoboszlai and Andre Silva both on the scoresheet before Kyle Walker was sent off in the closing stages.
Rose will have to play this game without Peter Gulacsi (ACL), Dani Olmo (thigh), and Abdou Diallo (knee) due to injury. However, the Germans will see a boost as Nkunku is now back on the team. Nkunku might come off the bench as Rose will continue riding on Forsberg, Szoboszlai, Silva, and Timo Werner in front. Laimer will likely partner with Xaver Schlager in center-midfield, while Josko Gvardiol is set to partner with Willi Orban as center-backs.
Why Man City Can Beat RB Leipzig
Manchester City is one of the favorite teams to win this tournament. After an exciting fixture that ended with a 3-1 over Arsenal to take the top spot in the Premier League, Man City was held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Nottingham Forest, thanks to a Chris Wood goal off of a lovely pass from Morgan Gibbs-White. City now owns 52 points in 24 games played, with 16 wins, four draws, and four losses with a +36 goal differential. Man City boasts of Erling Haaland, the summer signing of the club who leads the Prem with 26 goals, and Kevin De Bruyne, the Belgian vice-captain who has 12 assists to his name to lead England’s top flight.
Pep Guardiola’s squad has just won once in their last five away matches in all competitions, which included City’s elimination from the EFL Carabao Cup at the hands of Southampton. This leaves City two points adrift of leaders Arsenal, having played a game more than the Gunners. A return to the Champions League is next on the agenda for City, and the pressure is on the Spanish manager to lead the club to glory for the first time in its history. Guardiola previously told in an interview in December that his time as City manager will not be “complete” if he fails to win Europe’s elite club competition.
The Cityzens are competing in the Champions League knockout rounds for the 10th successive year. They won four games and drew twice to lead Group G ahead of Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla, and Copenhagen. City will be advancing to the Round of 8 for the sixth consecutive season if they survive this match against RB Leipzig.
Prior to the group-stage loss against Leipzig last season, City had put together a 15-game unbeaten streak against German opponents in the Champions League, including a thrilling 6-3 victory over Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium in September 2021. The Blues will hope to take advantage of this travel ahead of the second-leg fixture on home soil. City has ridiculous stats in the Champions League group stage, making 18.2 total shots, 6.3 corners, and 2.3 goals per game, thanks to a dominant 66.2% ball possession which also resulted in four clean sheets.
As for Man City, Guardiola will have to play this one with De Bruyne, John Stones, and Aymeric Laporte. Haaland will likely be playing with Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez in the forward slots while Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Ilkay Gundogan will keep their places in the middle of the pitch.
Final RB Leipzig-Man City Prediction & Pick
RB Leipzig certainly holds up on their own, but City tends to bounce back immediately after poor results. This will be a closely-fought contest but the Blues have a sharper edge than the Red Bulls on the offensive end.
