How do RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund stack up ahead of their Matchday 23 clash?
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund travel to top-four candidates RB Leipzig in a potentially pivotal clash as we approach the business end of the campaign. This is how the two teams stack up ahead of Saturday evening's Matchday 23 encounter…
Only Bayern Munich’s free-scoring rampage has overshadowed Dortmund’s relentless consistency in 2025/26. Both the reigning champions and BVB have lost just one match each, with the Black-Yellows' defeat coming at the hands of the Bavarians – otherwise, they have proved an incredibly tough nut to crack.
Niko Kovač’s side are currently in the middle of a 15-game unbeaten run in the Bundesliga, winning each of the last six, to close the gap to six points at the top of the table.
For context, their 51 points is their second-highest haul after 22 matchdays and the most ever accumulated by a second-placed team at this point in a season. Just a few weeks ago, a second successive Meisterschale for Vincent Kompany’s men appeared to be inevitable, but Dortmund deserve lots of credit for keeping the title race alive and taking advantage of their rivals’ slip-ups.
Up until Matchday 15, Leipzig were Bayern’s closest challengers, but Ole Werner’s outfit have been unable to maintain that pace in recent weeks and are instead locked in a battle for UEFA Champions League qualification.
Currently fifth, they have won just three of their past nine games, losing four and drawing the other two. That run includes a 3-1 defeat to fellow top-four contenders Bayer Leverkusen and a 5-1 hammering at the hands of Kompany and Co.
Watch: RB Leipzig 1-5 Bayern Munich - highlights
It is their previously sturdy defence, in particular, that has caused them problems. After conceding just 13 goals in their opening 13 games of the campaign – seven in 12 if you remove the six shipped in the opening matchday humbling against Bayern – Leipzig have been breached 17 times in the last nine, which works out at close to two per game.
In contrast, Dortmund only look stronger at the back with each passing week. Bayern (19) are the only side to concede fewer than BVB’s 20 goals in the top flight, with Gregor Kobel’s 11 clean sheets a league high. The latest came in a 4-0 victory over relegation-battling Mainz, who are no pushovers since Urs Fischer replaced Bo Henriksen as head coach.
Watch: Borussia Dortmund 4-0 Mainz - highlights
At the other end of the pitch, things also look rosy for Kovač. Again, Bayern’s mammoth total of 82 goals is the only one to surpass Dortmund’s 47, with the Signal Iduna Park outfit finding the back of the net at least twice in each of their seven Bundesliga fixtures in 2026, scoring a minimum of three times in six of them.
Perhaps the biggest boost to Dortmund’s title hopes has been Serhou Guirassy’s return to form just in time for the run-in. After scoring only once in 12 matches, he has six in his last six, including braces against Heidenheim and Mainz. He also opened the scoring in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Atalanta in the Champions League knockout play-offs first leg.
Nevertheless, even as Guirassy toiled, the likes of Maximilian Beier, Julian Brandt and Karim Adeyemi stepped up with important goals to keep their side moving forward. In fact, creativity and goal contributions have come from all over the pitch.
Having previously never provided more than three assists in a single league term, wing-back Julian Ryerson’s four goals created against Mainz have taken his haul for this one to 11, second only to Bayern’s Michael Olise in the Bundesliga.
Despite their recent difficulties, Leipzig also have their fair share of offensive threats. Leading their charge is attacking midfielder Christoph Baumgartner, whose 14 goal contributions (eight goals, six assists) are already a personal season-best. Dortmund will already be aware of his danger, given he was on the scoresheet when these two sides shared the spoils earlier this season.
There is also a strong supporting cast, with Yan Diomande’s eight goals and four assists making him one of the breakout Bundesliga stars of the season at the age of just 19. Against Dortmund, Werner will be hoping striker Rômulo can end his five-game drought and add to his six Bundesliga goals so far.
Watch: What makes Diomande so good?
If Saturday’s visitors are to keep the pressure on Bayern, they will need to improve on their recent trips to the Red Bull Arena. Remarkably, Dortmund have lost each of their past five games in Leipzig across all competitions, scoring just twice during that streak.
All in all, this promises to be a captivating clash between the two sides who have pushed Bayern the most frequently in recent years. They have six second-placed finishes between them since Leipzig’s promotion in 2016 (four for BVB, two for Leipzig), while only Bayern have amassed more points than the duo over the same period.
One thing is for certain: Matchday 23’s standout fixture is not only going to be captivating, but it is likely to have big implications at the top of the table.
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