Borussia Dortmund vs. RB Leipzig: How do they stack up?
All eyes will be on Signal Iduna Park on Matchday 9 as Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig continue their neck-and-neck rivalry. Will Dortmund's pedigree see them end Leipzig's unbeaten start to the season, or can Marco Rose's men leverage their stunning recent form?
bundesliga.com takes a look at where the match will be won and lost...
In a weekend that features three fixtures among teams in the top eight, the upper reaches of the Bundesliga table could be in for a reshuffle on Matchday 9, and that's just what seventh-placed Dortmund and second-placed Leipzig will be hoping for - albeit with different permutations - as they face off in Saturday night's headline clash.
The story thus far
Dortmund, one of the most storied clubs in German football, have seen their start to the season hampered by some unwanted nerves on the road, but new coach Nuri Şahin has them playing dominantly at home. In his first season at the helm of the club whose youth system he came up through, the 36-year-old coach has led Die Schwarzgelben to four wins from four on their own turf, with at least two goals scored each time out, and they now sit just two points shy of the Bundesliga's top four. With two wins (one defeat) in the Champions League, they are just shy of direct qualification for the round of 16, but they are coming off a 5-2 loss at Real Madrid, which they followed up with a league loss to Augsburg at the weekend.
Meanwhile, Rose's Leipzig are enjoying the club's best-ever start to a Bundesliga campaign, with an unbeaten record of six wins and two draws. The Saxony side, who sit level with leaders Bayern Munich on 20 points, boast the division's stingiest defence, with just three goals conceded and six clean sheets kept over the first eight matchdays. With two of these goals coming in the 3-2 win over reigning champs Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 2, the Leipzig rear-guard are practically hermetic. But they are no slouches up front either, having scored 14 goals for an impressive +11 early-season goal difference. However, Die Roten Bullen haven't fared so well in Europe, and they sit among the elimination places in 31st with three defeats in as many matches. Their draw was anything but clement, though, featuring as it did heavyweights Atlético Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool over the first three matchdays.
Watch: RB Leipzig keeping pace
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