Leipzig's wide creators and central arrivals meet an Elversberg defence that has allowed repeated box entries. Elversberg can answer through carries and delivery into the space left by advancing opponents. Köln and Schalke instead meet with recent evidence of interrupted service and fewer sustained high-quality final actions.
Nusa and Raum give Leipzig an established supply route, while Banzuzi and Gomis have recent goals and combinations of their own. Elversberg's Krattenmacher and Petkov supplied different attacking moves against Augsburg, alongside Keidel's corner delivery. Leipzig's recent home clean sheets still required substantial goalkeeping interventions.
Nkunku's latest adductor doubt follows his Madrid appearance, and Baumgartner's return is being managed after a short substitute contribution. The attacking picture uses the alternatives that have already contributed, with Elversberg's existing outlets operating without Campbell in their latest match. As Leipzig advance and the game moves into fresh attacking options, I'm siding with a busy scoring contest between Leipzig and Elversberg.
Köln's Maina–El Mala connection gives them a route through a carry or an inside finish, but their recent attempts have not consistently become close chances. Schalke's latest attacks struggled to connect possession to their striker, including during a numerical advantage at Freiburg.
Karaman now misses this match after completing the Mainz game, removing an actual starting link. Džeko's return to group training adds a possible target, while Köln's official update keeps Ache short of full integration and does not restore Dallinga or Rondić. I expect periods of Köln possession separated by contested deliveries and limited sustained service. I'm siding with a quieter scoring game between Köln and Schalke.
