High-flying Borussia Dortmund will travel to Wolfsburg on Tuesday to maintain their winning run in the Bundesliga.
Borussia Dortmund will take up a tough challenge to beat a stringent Wolfsburg when the two sides meet at the Volkswagen Arena. The hosts’ recent upturn in form could pose a serious problem for Dortmund, who are trying to keep pace with Bayern Munich.
Dortmund’s recent performances should keep their morale high as they crushed a hapless VfL Bochum to raise a third victory on the trot. Youssoufa Moukoko scored a brace and Giovanni Reyna converted from the spot as the Black and Yellows cemented the fourth place in the standings, three points behind Bayern.
A quiet second half was not the outcome Edin Terzic expected, but he will hope his side keeps an all-win record before venturing into the World Cup break.
Wolfsburg have somewhat had a whirlwind season so far, but they have started to swing towards the right direction. Only a single win in the first seven matches left them reeling in the relegation playoff spot. But they have vastly recovered from their initial slump with four wins and three draws.
Niko Kovac has overseen a rapid transformation and has taken his side to the 11th place. They have scored a flurry of goals but have struggled against big teams as they could not get past the likes of Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig.
Dortmund are aware of their vulnerabilities and will hope they do not get entangled in that trap as it would derail their title hopes. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between Dortmund and Wolfsburg.
Team News & Tactics
VfL Wolfsburg
Niko Kovac does not have many injury concerns except for Bartol Franjic, Kevin Paredes and Max Kruse. Otherwise, the Wolfsburg manager will have a fully fit squad to choose from against Borussia Dortmund. Koen Casteels will be giving his best to thwart Youssoufa Moukoko & co.
Sebastiaan Bornauw and Micky van de Ven will team up at the heart of the Wolfsburg defence, while Paulo Otavio and Ridle Baku will complete the back four.
Maximilian Arnold, Felix Nmecha and Yannick Gerhardt will take up the midfield battle, as Jude Bellingham alone can cause an uproar on the pitch. Patrick Wimmer and Jakub Kaminski will flank Lukas Nmecha from both sides.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Casteels; Baku, Bornauw, Van de Ven, Otavio; Gerhardt, Felix Nmecha, Arnold; Wimmer, Lukas Nmecha, Kaminski
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund have a plethora of players currently in the treatment room. Edin Terzic will travel without the services of Marius Wolf, Sebastien Haller, Mateu Morey, Thomas Meunier, Tom Rothe, Mahmoud Dahoud and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
Gregor Kobel has established himself as Dortmund’s number one shot-stopper. Mats Hummels is having a statement season, and his brilliant work on the pitch could earn him a recall to the German squad for the World Cup. He might be travelling to Qatar with his Dortmund defensive partner Nico Schlotterbeck, who also has been pretty pinpoint with his precise defending.
🎙 Edin Terzic:
"We played against Copenhagen with two strikers. With our squad, we are able to be flexible. But first of all, it's about attacking schemes, they worked recently – but whether we play with 1 or 2 strikers, we'll keep it open." pic.twitter.com/CriAAk6ffL
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) November 7, 2022
Niklas Sule has done a decent job as a makeshift right-back and will have the assistance of Raphael Guerreiro from the other end. Salih Ozcan and Jude Bellingham’s formidable partnership will have the onus to get the ball rolling from the midfield.
Terzic will unleash Karim Adeyemi and Donyell Malen, who have not been regulars in the starting elevens. Julian Brandt will offer his expertise from the no. 10 position, and in-form striker Youssoufa Moukoko will be an automatic choice up top.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Sule, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro; Bellingham, Ozcan; Adeyemi, Brandt, Malen; Moukoko
Key Stats
- Wolfsburg have taken just one point from their last 14 Bundesliga games against Borussia Dortmund (0-0 A on Matchday 18 of 2017/18) and have lost each of their last eight games in this fixture. They have never suffered a longer losing run in the Bundesliga against any other side (also eight consecutive defeats vs Bayern from 2018 to 2021)
- Niko Kovac does not have a good record against Dortmund as he has only managed three wins in nine games so far.
- Dortmund are on a three-game winning run, while Wolfsburg are unbeaten in their last six Bundesliga matches.
- Dortmund have beaten Wolfsburg away from home in the last seven Bundesliga matches straight.
- Anthony Modeste has been involved in more goals against Wolfsburg than any other side in the Bundesliga (10 – 8 goals, 2 assists). Modeste has 85 goals in his 201 top-flight games to date and is set to equal Franck Ribery as the Bundesliga’s top scoring Frenchman with his next goal.
Player to Watch
Youssoufa Moukoko
Moukoko has emerged as Dortmund’s main goal threat this season. The 17-year-old has already been involved in ten goals in the Bundesliga, and teams have struggled to cope up with his intent to score goals.
The striker netted three times in the last three matches and would be keen to continue his goal-scoring trait. So, it is hardly surprising that Moukoko features on the radars of several European bigwigs.
Five goals for Youssoufa Moukoko in 12 games with Borussia Dortmund this season — another rising talent, born in November 2004, still 17. 👀⭐️ #BVB
His current deal with BVB expires in June 2023. pic.twitter.com/sVdGQHp20A
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 5, 2022
Prediction
VfL Wolfsburg 1-2 Borussia Dortrmund
Wolfsburg will try to improve their home record against the Black and Yellows. But a certain Jude Bellingham could block their way. The 19-year-old has been in scintillating form, and if he is on song, the home side will have a tough task on Tuesday. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Borussia Dortmund.