RB Leipzig play host to Sporting Lisbon looking to get their first points of the UEFA Champions League's league phase on Wednesday (kick-off: 6.45pm CET).

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• Watch every Leipzig goal in the Bundesliga this season
• See how German clubs are faring in Europe in 2024/25

It's been a Champions League campaign to forget for Leipzig, whose record thus far reads: played six, lost six. Marco Rose's side are languishing in 34th out of 36 teams in the standings and can no longer reach the knockout phase of the competition. They will be desperate to restore some pride, however, and victory against the reigning champions of Portugal would certanly go some way to achieving that. Leipzig head into their showdown with Sporting on the back of a tough result, having squandered a three-goal lead to utimately draw away at Bochum in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Leipzig will have Yussuf Poulsen available for selection again, following the Dane's return from a thigh issue against Bochum. Benjamin Šeško, the club's top scorer this season with 13 strikes, will also return with Loïs Openda after serving domestic suspensions at the weekend. Benjamin Henrichs and André Silva remain sidelined through injury, however, but Xavi Simons is back fit and showing good form. Meanwhile, 19-year-old midfielder Arthur Vermeeren saw his initial loan move from Atlético Madrid to the Red Bull Arena made permanent earlier this month and is a regular in central midfield.

Sporting, on the other hand, have performed well so far in the competiton and look a solid bet to at least qualify for a play-off position as one of the top 24 sides. The Portuguese giants have collected 10 points from six matches so far, their standout result being a 4-1 victory over Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in early November. They've been forced to contend with some difficult circumstances this campaign, with their coach at the beginning of the season, Ruben Amorim, leaving the cub in December to take charge at Manchester United. João Pereira lasted only eight games in the job, but his replacment, Rui Borges, has performed well since his arrival, winning three of his five matches to maintain Sporting's position at the summit of Portuguese football. In Viktor Gyökeres, Sporting boast one of Europe's most in-form and sought-after footballers, the Swede, formally of St. Pauli, having scored five times in six Champions Leauge matches this term. 

Watch: Bochum 3-3 RB Leipzig - highlights

Match stats

• Šeško is Leipzig’s top scorer in the Bundesliga (eight goals) and Champions League (three goals) so far this season.
• With no points after six games, 2019/20 semi-finalists Leipzig are enduring their worst-ever Champions League campaign.
• Leipzig have faced Portuguese opposition (Benfica and Porto) four times before, winning two (D1, L1).
• Lisbon’s José Alvalade Stadium was the venue for Leipzig’s famous one-legged quarter-final win over Atlético Madrid in the 2019/20 edition of the competition.
• Leipzig’s Silva is a 53-time Portugal international.
• Sporting have lost 20 of their previous 30 UEFA competition meetings with German clubs (W4, D6).

Probable teams

Leipzig: Gulácsi - Klostermann, Orban (c), Seiwald - Nusa, Vermeeren, Kampl, Raum - Xavi, Openda - Šeško
Out: Baku (ineligible), Henrichs (achilles tendon), Lukeba (hamstring), Ouédraogo (groin), Silva (calf), Schlager (knee)
Doubtful: -
Coach: Marco Rose

Sporting: Israel - Fresneda, Diomande, St. Juste, Araújo - Hjulmand (c), Morita - Catamo, Trincão, Quenda - Gyökeres
Out: Reis (thigh), Santos (knee), Gonçalves (thigh)
Doubtful: Quaresma (muscular)
Coach: Rui Borges

LIVE blog

VS

Leipzig

Wed, 22.01 17:45

Sporting

Champions League
League phase, Matchday 7 League phase, Matchday 7 Red Bull Arena

Happy Portuguese memories

Leipzig's first-ever win in European competition came against Sporting's rivals Porto back in 2017/18, when current captain Willi Orbán was on target at the Red Bull Arena.

© James Marsh/BPI/Shutterstock via www.imago-images.de

Key names back

After both having missed the Bochum game due to suspension at the weekend, forwards Loïs Openda and Benjamin Šeško are back in contention for a place in Leipzig's starting line-up this week.

© IMAGO/Michael Taeger

2:03

Bundesliga barnstormer

Leipzig were three goals up at half-time in their weekend Bundesliga game away to Bochum, only for the hosts to produce a remarkable comeback. The game contained plenty for Wednesday's hosts to learn from ahead of Sporting's visit.

2:41

Leipzig in focus

Check out the Eastern gem and host city for Wednesday's Champions League game with our Leipzig and Red Bull Arena guide!

2:03

Winning ambition

Leipzig are without a victory in their last two Bundesliga games but, prior to that, were in blistering form on Xavi's return to action following injury when Die Roten Bullen beat Werder Bremen 4-2 to start the year.

Pride to play for

Unfortunately, hosts Leipzig have already been eliminated from this season's UEFA Champions League after six straight defeats in the competition. However, the Saxony-based side will want to put on one final show at home against Sporting in European competition, before their campaign concludes away to Sturm Graz on Matchday 8.

© IMAGO/O.Behrendt

Welcome!

Thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of RB Leipzig's seventh UEFA Champions League game of the 2024/25 league phase away at home to Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday.

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