Defending champions Bayern Munich will aim to earn their first Bundesliga win of 2023 when they travel to Volkswagen Arena to take on Wolfsburg on Sunday.
Nico Kovac’s VfL Wolfsburg will entertain league leaders Bayern Munich on Sunday as they push for a European berth. The Bavarians, meanwhile, will be looking to return to winning ways after playing out three league draws in a row, as well as defend their slender lead at the top of the Bundesliga standings.
Wolfsburg were flying out of the blocks in the Bundesliga in 2023, announcing their return from the winter break with 11 unanswered combined goals against Freiburg and Hertha Berlin; however, back-to-back 2-1 defeats in rather dull fashion have dampened their Champions League hopes a bit.
They currently find themselves sitting in seventh place going into the weekend, and things don’t get any easier for them in this fixture either, as they welcome a rejuvenated Bayern Munich, fresh off the back of annihilating Mainz 4-0 in the DFB Cup.
The good news for the hosts is that Bayern are enduring a relatively dismal start to 2023 given their high standards, grinding out three turgid 1-1 league draws on the spin. And while the Bavarians remain at the top of the table heading into the latest matchday, other teams are now just one or few points behind in the title race. So they cannot afford to drop any more points if they want to clinch the title for the 11th time in a row.
Here at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over these two sides ahead of their very important clash in the Bundesliga this weekend.
Team News & Tactics
VfL Wolfsburg
💬 "Remain true to ourselves"
ICYMI: Quotes from Niko Kovac's press conference yesterday ahead of tomorrow's huge clash against @FCBayernEN! ⬇️
Read in Full ➡️ https://t.co/93kYBIxVNo#WOBFCB #VfLWolfsburg 🟢⚪️ pic.twitter.com/KHGtLkdXwY
— VfL Wolfsburg EN/US 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@VfLWolfsburg_EN) February 4, 2023
Wolfsburg had a quiet January transfer window, with only left-back Nicolas Cozza joining from Montpellier FC. Cozza will be hoping that he can help Wolfsburg qualify for Europe next season.
The Wolves seem to be in good shape right now as far as the selection pool is concerned, with left-back Paulo Otavio back available after suspension. Lukas Nmecha is close to returning from a knee injury that kept him out of the World Cup, while Felix Nmecha is recovering from a thigh injury.
Nico Kovac has implemented a mix of 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations with a clear focus on his team’s intensity behind the ball so they can defend in a compact, mid-to-high press to force their opponents wide. Goalkeeper Koen Casteels is a certainty between the sticks for the hosts. The back four, led by the two central defenders in Sebastiaan Bornauw and Micky van de Ven, will be flanked by full-back duo Ridle Baku and Otavio.
Maximilian Arnold’s ball progressions in the deeper zones are breathtaking. An elite progressive passer, he likes to receive the ball with his left foot and ping precise long balls with his right or left foot. He will be supported by Mattias Svanberg and Yannick Gerhardt as the midfield trio looks to shield the backline while helping out in the build-up play.
In attack, Jonas Wind has stepped up with the goods in the absence of talismanic striker Lukas Nmecha, scoring two goals against Freiburg and another against Hertha Berlin. Wolfsburg will be hoping that he can maintain his goal-scoring form here against Bayern while Patrick Wimmer and Jakub Kaminski occupy the wide-attacking roles.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Casteels; Baku, Bornauw, van de Ven, Otavio; Svanberg, Arnold, Gerhardt; Wimmer, Wind, Kaminski
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich bolstered their roster considerably during the January transfer window, with Yann Sommer and the surprise capture of Joao Cancelo, providing another massive boost to the roster.
In the absence of Manuel Neuer, Sommer will continue to man the Bayern goal, having kept his first clean sheet since arriving from Borussia Monchengladbach in the winter on Wednesday.
Julian Nagelsmann decided to make a change in the system against Mainz, deploying a three-man defensive structure, while Joao Cancelo and Kingsley Coman played in the wing-back positions.
He will likely stick with the same setup here. But Alphonso Davies might come into the equation instead of Coman. Benjamin Pavard will start as the right centre-back, while Matthijs de Ligt will play on the left side of the defense, with defensive powerhouse Dayot Upamecano sitting at the heart of the back three.
Putting in the hard work ahead of #WOBFCB 💪#packmas pic.twitter.com/CMSDrSBcY7
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) February 4, 2023
Cancelo and Coman will provide the width, stretching the opposition. Both players are also efficient with their crossing and passing in the final third.
Marcel Sabitzer has left Bayern Munich to join Manchester United on loan. So the formidable duo of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka will pretty much remain the mainstay in the middle of the park for the foreseeable future.
The use of wing-backs will allow Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry to operate in central areas. Both players thrive in this part of the final third and will definitely provide more impetus.
Musiala has elevated himself to a whole new level for Bayern and is becoming the hottest young prospect in Europe. The Germany international has managed to get nine goals and eight assists in the Bundesliga this season as his stock continues to grow.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting got a goal and an assist against Mainz last time out and will be hoping to build on his goal-scoring exploits by adding to his league tally against Wolfsburg.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sommer; Pavard, de Ligt, Upamecano; Cancelo, Goretzka, Kimmich, Davies; Musiala, Gnabry; Choupo-Moting
Key Stats
- Bayern Munich are unbeaten in their last 18 matches against Wolfsburg in all competitions.
- The Bavarians have failed to win any of their first three Bundesliga games of a calendar year for the first time since 2007.
- The last time Wolfsburg managed to defeat Bayern in the German top flight dates back to January 2015, when they triumphed 4-1.
- The visitors are the Bundesliga’s best away team and are unbeaten in five straight games on the road.
- In six of the last seven matches Bayern Munich played, both teams got on the scoresheet.
Player to Watch
Joao Cancelo
He may have landed on the final day of the transfer window. But Bayern Munich’s new addition did not waste any time settling in and showing what he will bring to the table. Joao Cancelo’s debut in Bayern Munich’s 4-0 German Cup victory over Mainz showed a lot of promise.
After a couple of sharp, penetrating runs inside, he looked up and pulled out one of those really fine crosses to the far post for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to finish. Cancelo’s expertise on the ball is unsurprising. At Manchester City, he seemed to be the typical Pep Guardiola full-back for several seasons.
Defensively decent and comfortable enough to step into midfield, progress with the ball, take on his opponent, or fire from range. The fallout between Guardiola and Cancelo has turned into a blessing for Bayern as it provided them with a ready-made solution to one of their more glaring problems.
With Benjamin Pavard’s limitations, his backup Noussair Mazraoui out injured, and Alphonso Davies dangerous on the opposite side, opponents frequently target their right flank. Not any longer, with Cancelo providing an additional threat with his powerful running and eagerness to impress with his offensive abilities.
Prediction
Wolfsburg 1-3 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich look set to lift the Bundesliga crown again this season, despite recent results not going their way. Just when it looked like they are vulnerable and other German top-flight sides had finally found a way to get near them, the Bavarians went out and signed a world-class full-back to bolster the only weak spot in their side and maintain their sheer dominance.
It is unfair. Nevertheless, back to the game talk, Wolfsburg have somewhat lost their way in the last couple of games after a fiery start to 2023. Bayern Munich have failed to keep a clean sheet in six of their last seven Bundesliga games, while Wolfsburg are unbeaten in five straight home league games. So the result is far from a foregone conclusion.
The hosts might as well breach Yann Sommer’s goal first here to get a fast start and may give the defending champions a couple more scares on the counter. But the visitors are a high-quality team at least on paper and should be able to show their high-quality attacking arsenal to come back and win this game on Sunday to strengthen their grip at the top of the Bundesliga.
