The Matchday 8 clash in the 2024/25 Champions League group stage between Sturm (Austria) and Leipzig (Germany) will take place on January 29 at the Wörthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt. Sturm vs. Leipzig: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Sturm
In the previous round, Jurgen Seumel's side suffered a 0-5 defeat against Atalanta. This loss marked the team's sixth in this Champions League campaign, with their only bright spot being a victory over Girona in Matchday 5 (1-0). Sturm currently sits in 33rd place in the standings and has no chance of advancing to the playoffs. Notably, the team has scored only four goals in the group stage, which is better than only two other participants in the tournament.
Defender Max Johnston will miss the game due to health issues. Defender Aleksandar Borkovic is still recovering from an injury.
- No more than one goal has been scored in the first half in 5 of the team's last 6 matches in this tournament.
- Sturm has lost in regular time in 5 of their last 7 home games in the Champions League.
- The team has not scored more than one goal in 90 minutes in their last 8 matches in this European competition.
Leipzig
Marco Rose's side defeated Sporting 2-1 in the last round. The club secured their first victory in the group stage of the Champions League and ended a run of six defeats in this European competition. Leipzig is currently 30th in the standings with 3 points. The team has already lost their chance to advance to the playoffs by the end of Matchday 6 in the Champions League.
Key midfielder Kevin Kampl, key defender Benjamin Henrichs, and forward Andre Silva and midfielder Assan Ouédraogo will be unavailable due to health issues. Additionally, midfielders Bote Baku and Xaver Schlager will not play in the upcoming match due to Champions League regulations.
- Leipzig has lost in regular time in 4 of their last 5 away matches in this tournament.
- The club has not scored more than one goal in 90 minutes in their last 4 away matches in the Champions League.
- Both teams have scored in 6 of Leipzig's last 7 away games in this European competition.
Predicted lineups for Sturm vs. Leipzig
Sturm (4-3-3): Kjell Scherpen – Dimitri Lavalée, Gregory Wüthrich, Emanuel Aiwu, Arjan Malic – Lovro Zvonarek, Jon Gorenc-Stankovic, Tochi Chukwuani – Sidi Yatta, Otar Kiteishvili, William Böving.
Leipzig (4-4-2): Maarten Vandevoordt – David Raum, El Chadaille Bitshiabu, Willi Orban, Lutsharel Geertruida – Xavi Simons, Christoph Baumgartner, Nicolas Seiwald, Antonio Nusa – Benjamin Sesko, Lois Openda.
Referee: Nikolai Balakin (Ukraine)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 19;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.2;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 33%.
Sturm vs. Leipzig: Match Prediction
Leipzig has struggled in this Champions League campaign. The club has disappointed its fans with their results, as Marco Rose's side was the first to lose their chance to advance to the playoffs among all tournament participants. These unsatisfactory results are largely due to difficulties in creating scoring opportunities. In 7 group stage matches, Leipzig has not scored more than twice, and in two of these matches, they failed to score at all.
Sturm's matches in the Champions League have also been low-scoring. No more than three goals have been scored in 5 of the team's last 7 matches in this tournament. Sturm themselves have scored only 4 goals in the group stage of the Champions League. Considering the lack of tournament motivation for both clubs, I believe we will not see many goals in the upcoming match. My prediction: Total under 3.5 goals
