RW Essen vs Leipzig 27 October 2026 Prediction

  Prediction by   Gevorg Danielyan     October 25, 2026 

Third-division Rot-Weiss Essen hosts RB Leipzig after two unconvincing league performances. Essen sits third in its league, while Leipzig has been inconsistent early in the season. The Bundesliga side still has a clear advantage in squad quality.

Finishing Issues and Injuries

Rot-Weiss Essen is pushing for promotion and sits third in the 3. Liga after 11 rounds, four points behind leader Duisburg. Its last two results were less convincing: a 1-0 away loss to potential promotion rival Ingolstadt, followed by a 1-0 home win over struggling Regensburg last Friday. Essen did control the Regensburg game, leading 15-5 in shots and 5-1 in shots on target. Finishing has been the issue: the team scored once from 16 shots on target across those two matches.

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Manager Uwe Koschinat also has fewer attacking options. Obuz and Telalovic, both starters against Ingolstadt, suffered serious injuries in training. Potocnik is questionable after developing a health issue. Bouebari, however, is available again after serving a suspension.

RB Leipzig’s Away Form

Leipzig responded to heavy defeats against Bayern Munich (6-1) in the Bundesliga and Real Madrid (4-1) in the Champions League with a 4-0 home win over Elversberg. Manager Martin Demichelis’s side led 13-5 in shots, 6-1 in shots on target and 2.87-0.79 in expected goals. Its away record is a concern, though: five straight losses in all competitions, with four goals scored and 19 conceded. Those games came against much stronger opposition than Essen.

Göbel (knee), Guiu (hamstring) and Ouedraogo (shoulder) were unavailable for last weekend’s Bundesliga game against Elversberg and remain out. Nkunku is still questionable. He missed the league squad but is close to a full recovery.

Rot-Weiss Essen vs RB Leipzig Predicted Lineup

Rot-Weiss Essen (4-2-3-1): Golz; Kostka, Hüning, Alonso, Bouebari; Zaytan, Pesch; Abiama, Reisig, Brumme; Janssen

Unavailable: Obuz, Telalovic, Geschwill, Menzel, Dardari (injured); Potocnik (questionable)

Manager: Uwe Koschinat

RB Leipzig (4-3-3): Nyland; Henrichs, Orban, Esteve, Finkgräfe; Reitz, El Aynaoui, Banzuzi; Maksimovic, Gomis, Nusa

Unavailable: Göbel, Guiu, Ouedraogo (injured); Nkunku (questionable)

Manager: Martin Demichelis

Rot-Weiss Essen vs RB Leipzig Prediction: RB Leipzig Handicap -2.5

Main pick: Essen is unbeaten at home in competitive games this season, but it has yet to face an opponent of Leipzig’s caliber. Its toughest home opponent was second-division St. Pauli, and its finishing has been poor over the last two games. Leipzig has lost five straight away games, though that run included matches against Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid. In last season’s German Cup, Leipzig beat third-division Energie Cottbus 4-1. It also beat Essen 4-1 in their 2024 meeting and has five competitive wins by at least three goals this season. The main pick is RB Leipzig -2.5 at 2.21.

Goals pick: Essen has struggled to convert chances recently, but it has scored 12 goals in six home league games and two in the German Cup. Leipzig has scored 20 goals through seven Bundesliga rounds. The additional pick is both teams to score at 1.85.