RB Leipzig hosts Hansa Rostock in the German DFB Pokal 1/8 finals. The match will be played on Tuesday, January 18th at Red Bull Arena (Leipzig)
RB Leipzig reached the final of the last German Cup. But the Red Bulls did not have enough strength to cope with Borussia Dortmund. The Black-and-Yellow gained a 4-1 victory. I fully admit that this year Leipzig will again try to get to the decisive match. In any case, the team is very lucky with the draws so far. In the previous rounds, the Bulls eliminated the representatives of the lower divisions, Sandhausen (0-4) and Babelsberg (0-1). And now they have to play against the team that represents Bundesliga 2. In the last eight matches in the German Cup, RB Leipzig suffered only one defeat (in the above-mentioned final) and gained seven victories.
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Hansa Rostock is far from the strongest representative of Bundesliga 2. The team is in a lower part of the standings after the first half of the season, and only a few points separate it from the relegation zone. I cannot but note that Hansa conceded 31 goals in 18 league matches. The team is one of the three most unreliable teams in terms of defense. The men of Jens Hartel advanced to the 1/8 finals with certain problems. They beat Heidenheim (3-2) and then eliminated Jahn Regensburg only in the penalty shootout (regulation and extra time ended in a 3-3 draw). In the last nine away cup games, Hansa has consistently scored at least one goal.
In the 2013/2014 season, RB Leipzig and Hansa Rostock crossed paths in Bundesliga 3. Then the Red Bulls lost 1-2 at their native stadium. Over the past six years, Leipzig has suffered only one home defeat in the German Cup (in regulation time), losing to the strongest team in the country, Bayern Munich. Of course, the Red Bulls have everything to advance to the next round. Firstly, the team will play at home, where it looks quite strong. Secondly, the opponent is quite modest. Plus, Hansa has obvious problems in defense this season (31 goals conceded in 18 rounds of the championship). I expect that the powerful attacking line of the Bulls will do its job, and the team will get into the quarterfinals without any problems. The visitors will be very lucky if they manage to avoid real thumping.
Prediction for the match: RB Leipzig to score over 2.5 goals
