Werner Trusts Bitshiabu and Finkgräfe at Leverkusen Vs Rb Leipzig

RB Leipzig start leverkusen vs rb leipzig with David Raum and Castello Lukeba on the bench at 18.30 Uhr. Ole Werner again picked El Chadaille Bitshiabu and Max Finkgräfe, and a win would send Leipzig into Champions League qualification after the Hoffenheim-Stuttgart draw.

Leipzig’s 11 at BayArena

Vandevoordt starts in goal behind Baku, Orban, Bitshiabu and Finkgräfe. Seiwald is the only change from the 3:1 win against Union Berlin, with Schlager, Baumgartner, Diomande, Romulo and Nusa also in the XI.

Raum and Lukeba are back in the squad, but both begin on the bench. Leipzig listed them there alongside Gulacsi, Bakayoko, Gruda, Ouédraogo, Klostermann, Henrichs and Harder.

Werner Keeps the Young Pair

The selection leaves Werner with the same defensive core he used before. Bitshiabu and Finkgräfe keep their spots while Raum and Lukeba are not yet fully fit because of adductor and groin problems.

That is the clearest line through Leipzig’s team sheet: the coach is not forcing two defenders back for a top match at Bayer 04 Leverkusen. He is trusting the players who handled Union Berlin in the 3:1 win and keeping the returning pair available if the game demands them.

Champions League Place in Reach

The stakes are direct. Leipzig can secure Champions League qualification with a win in Leverkusen after the draw between Hoffenheim and Stuttgart, so every defensive choice carries immediate weight in a match that can decide their European path.

For Leipzig, the benching of Raum and Lukeba is less a setback than a line on readiness. If Werner needs them later, they are in the squad; if the first choice back four holds, the club can leave the BayArena with both a result and a place in Europe’s top competition.