Bayer Leverkusen will aim to continue the post-international break winning run when they welcome VfL Wolfsburg to BayArena on Sunday.
The 2024/25 Bundesliga season has resumed this week with Matchday 4, with FSV Mainz beating FC Augsburg 3-2 on Friday night. The action on Sunday will kick off at BayArena, with Bayer Leverkusen hosting VfL Wolfsburg.
Bayer Leverkusen began the 2024/25 season with a win over VfB Stuttgart in the DFL Supercup, clinching the title on penalties. The reigning Bundesliga champions kicked off their league campaign with a 3-2 win over Borussia Monchengladbach before beating Carl Zeiss Jena in the DFB Pokal. However, Die Werkself suffered a Bundesliga defeat for the first time in over a year on Matchday 2 against RB Leipzig.
Since then, Xabi Alonso’s men have improved considerably, beating TSG Hoffenheim 4-1 last weekend before cruising to a 4-0 win over Feyenoord in their UEFA Champions League opener this week. As for VfL Wolfsburg, they kicked things off with a 1-0 victory over TuS Koblenz in the DFB Pokal first round.
Since then, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men have blown hot and cold, losing two of their first three Bundesliga matches. They began their league campaign with a narrow 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich before beating Holstein Kiel 2-0 and suffering a 2-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 2-0 win for Bayer Leverkusen, with Nathan Tella and Florian Wirtz finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
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Bayer Leverkusen
Xabi Alonso does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday, the Bayer Leverkusen manager will have a full-strength squad.
Lukas Hradecky is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Bayer Leverkusen lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him against VfL Wolfsburg. The central defensive unit should feature Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah, and Piero Hincapie.
Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo pick themselves as the two wing-backs. The pair has not been as deadly as last season, although they are gathering steam. The duo will aim to provide width in the final third and shoulder the creative burden for the home side.
As for the midfield unit, Granit Xhaka and Robert Andrich should pair up in the double pivot, aiming to keep things tight in the middle of the park while facilitating swift transitions. Victor Boniface will spearhead the Bayer Leverkusen attack against Wolfsburg, with Florian Wirtz and Martin Terrier providing the support behind him.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Andrich, Xhaka, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Terrier; Boniface
VfL Wolfsburg
Unlike his counterpart in the Bayer Leverkusen dugout, Ralph Hasenhuttl has many issues to deal with ahead of the trip to BayArena. The VfL Wolfsburg manager will be bereft of the services of seven first-team players on Sunday.
Joakim Maehle (ankle), Rogerio (knee), Kevin Paredes (ankle), Lovro Majer (ankle), Bartosz Bialek (knee), and Lukas Nmecha (groin) are on the sidelines. In addition, David Odogu might be available if he has recovered from an illness.
Kamil Grabara will take his spot between the sticks, with VfL Wolfsburg lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him against Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. The backline should feature Kilian Fischer, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Cedric Zesiger, and Jakub Kaminski.
As for the midfield unit, captain Maximilian Arnold will sit at the base alongside Salih Ozcan, with Mattias Svanberg providing the creative impetus from the central areas. Patrick Wimmer will lead the line for Wolfsburg, with Ridle Baku and Tiago Tomas completing the numbers in the final third.
Probable Luneup (4-3-3): Grabara; Fischer, Bornauw, Zesiger, Kaminski; Svanberg, Arnold, Ozcan; Baku, Wimmer, Tomas
Key Stats
- Bayer Leverkusen are unbeaten in five Bundesliga meetings with VfL Wolfsburg (W3 D2). They have never gone on a longer run without a defeat against the Wolves.
- Bayer Leverkusen are unbeaten in 22 Bundesliga games played on a Sunday (W15 D7).
- On the other hand, VfL Wolfsburg have not won in eight Sunday outings. They have won only once in their last 18 top-flight matches on a Sunday.
- Bayer Leverkusen lost 3-2 to RB Leipzig at BayArena before the international break. No reigning Bundesliga champions have ever failed to win at least one of their first two home games of a season.
- Bayer Leverkusen have scored nine goals thus far in the Bundesliga this season, with only Bayern Munich finding the back of the net more often (11). The reigning Bundesliga champions have netted in 18 successive top-flight games, last enjoying a larger run between 2017 and 2018 (25 games).
Player to Watch
Victor Boniface
Boniface would have been eager to make a solid start to the 2024/25 season after a long-term injury hampered what should have been an incredible debut campaign. While the Nigerian international was exceptional last term, he will hope to break records in the next nine months.
The 23-year-old has warmed up well, scoring three goals and providing one assist in five outings thus far this term. Boniface will hope to take his performance to the next level, and a game-changing display against VfL Wolfsburg might be on the cards.
Prediction
Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 VfL Wolfsburg
After an early setback in the Bundesliga season, Bayer Leverkusen clinched successive victories this past week. So, the reigning Bundesliga champions have shown that all is well at BayArena, with the loss to RB Leipzig a blip. As for VfL Wolfsburg, they have not looked convincing in the early stages of the 2024/25 campaign.
Wolfsburg last beat a defending Bundesliga champion in January 2015, cruising to a 4-1 win over Bayern Munich. The Wolves have picked up only two points from the most recent 18 available in these games; that victory drought should continue on Sunday, with Bayer Leverkusen having enough quality for a comfortable evening. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 triumph for Xabi Alonso and his charges.