RB Leipzig vs. Hoffenheim: probable teams, match stats and LIVE ...

Xavi Simons can fire RB Leipzig into the top three - depending on other results - if they beat Pellegrino Matarazzo's Hoffenheim on Saturday (kick-off: 6.30pm CET).

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Leipzig begin the weekend in fourth, three points behind champions Bayern Munich and two behind VfB Stuttgart before those two teams meet each other on Sunday. A win for Marco Rose's side and a draw in that game would even send the Saxony upstarts up to second behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen, and a three-game winning streak in all competitions augurs well for them. Die Roten Bullen had already punched their ticket into the UEFA Champions League when they beat Young Boys 2-1 on Wednesday, and a number of players - including Xavi - were given a rest as a result. The Dutch youngster and former Hoffenheim man Christoph Baumgartner should rotate back into starting spots on the wings, with Emil Forsberg and Fábio Carvalho making way. Timo Werner has returned to training after a groin injury, but will likely have to settle for a place on the bench with Yussuf Poulsen partnering top scorer Loïs Openda up front.

Hoffenheim are only two places and six points behind Leipzig ahead of their trip to the Red Bull Arena, although last Friday's 3-1 win over Bochum was American head coach Matarazzo's first three-point haul in the Bundesliga since October's 3-2 win at his former side Stuttgart. Five games without victory in between were a duck he was happy to break. "A win against Bochum brings just as many points as one against the league leaders," he said. "We'll need high energy in Leipzig. They have a deep squad." Matarazzo will have to dip into his own on Saturday, with first-choice striker partnership Wout Weghorst and Maximilian Beier under threat. The former is definitely missing with a muscular injury, while the latter has been ill this week. Ihlas Bebou could be handed a rare start up front as a result.

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Match stats Openda is Leipzig's 10-goal top scorer this season. The summer signing from Lens has also contributed three assists in the Bundesliga. Xavi isn't too far behind with four and seven in each column - impressive given the Paris Saint-Germain-owned youngster generally starts a line deeper than Openda. Only leaders Leverkusen (39) and champions Bayern (44) have scored more goals than Leipzig (34). Leipzig's Baumgartner previously played 138 games for Hoffenheim, scoring 30 goals and laying on 22 more. It has been five meetings since Hoffenheim last won this fixture, in November 2021. Matarazzo has a 41.94 win percentage as Hoffenheim manager. His side are only six points behind Leipzig.

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Probable teams

Leipzig: Blaswich - Henrichs, Simakan, Castello, Raum - Baumgartner, Haidara, Schlager, Xavi - Openda, Poulsen (c)Out: Olmo (shoulder), Orban (knee)Doubtful: -Coach: Marco Rose 

Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) - Kabak, Vogt, Akpoguma - Grillitsch - Kadeřábek, Prömel, Stach, Skov - Bebou, KramarićOut: Berisha (knee), Geiger (groin), John (knee), Weghorst (muscular)Doubtful: Beier (ill)Coach: Pellegrino Matarazzo