Borussia Dortmund will look to bring an end to their four-match winless run when they hit the road to square up against VfL Wolfsburg.
Having played out three consecutive draws in the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund are desperate to secure all three points in this away game against VfL Wolfsburg, whose winning streak came to an end last time out.
The home team are currently 10th on the points table with 21 points out of their 14 games. They were struggling in the bottom half, but a streak of four consecutive league wins helped them bounce back.
However, Wolfsburg were unable to maintain that streak for long as they lost 3-2 to SC Freiburg last time out. While they will looking to get things back on track, taking down Dortmund won’t be that easy a task.
Meanwhile, the visitors are eighth on the points table with just 22 points out of their 14 games. While they are expected to be fighting for the league title, things have not gone according to plan for them.
Dortmund have failed to win any of their last three league games, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw against Borussia Monchengladbach. The team in yellow and black will be eager to bounce back but it won’t be easy for them. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
VfL Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg will be without the services of Niklas Klinger, Aster Vranckx, Sebastiaan Bornauw, Rogerio, Kevin Paredes, Bartosz Bialek, and Lovro Majer.
Ralph Hasenhuttl will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Kamil Grabara will take charge in between the sticks. He will be protected by a back four of Kilian Fischer, Denis Vavro, Konstantinos Koulierakis and Joakim Maehle. Fischer and Maehle will be the full-backs, while Vavro and Koulierkis will feature in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Maximilian Arnold will take up the role of a defensive midfielder, and he will be supported by the duo of Mattias Svanberg and Bence Dardai. Ridle Baku and Tiago Tomas will provide width to their attacks, while Mohamed El Amine Amoura will continue to lead the line for Wolfsburg against Borussia Dortmund.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Grabara; Fischer, Vavro, Koulierakis, Maehle; Dardai, Arnold, Svanberg; Baku, Amoura, Tomas
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund will be without the services of Niklas Sule and Julian Ryerson. Apart from the duo, Nuri Sahin should have a fully-fit squad to choose from.
The visitors will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Gregor Kobel will be in goal. Emre Can will start at the heart of the defence alongside Nico Schlotterbeck. They will be supported by Yan Couto and Ramy Bensebaini, who will feature as the full-backs.
In the centre of the park, Lucas Nmecha will start alongside Pascal Gross. The duo will not only shield the backline but also look to control the tempo of the game. Giovanni Reyna is expected to be the attacking midfielder for Borussia Dortmund, while Jamie Bynoe-Gittens and Maximilian Beier should feature on the flanks. Serhou Guirassy should continue to lead the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kobel; Couto, Can, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Gross, Nmecha; Beier, Reyna, Bynoe-Gittens; Guirassy
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund have won 31 out of their last 54 matches against VfL Wolfsburg who have only won 12 of those fixtures.
- The home team have only won two out of their last 19 games against the team in yellow and black.
- VfL Wolfsburg have been unbeaten in their last three games against Dortmund.
- With just 22 points out of their first 14 games, this is Dortmund’s worst start to a Bundesliga campaign in seven years.
- After a poor run where they had only won two out of their last 16 home games in the league, Wolfsburg have won each of their last two league outings.
Player to Watch
Giovanni Reyna
Reyna did not have the best of starts to the 2024/25 season as he spent a significant amount of time on the sidelines because of a groin injury. He is slowly getting back to his best and did prove his ability with an important goal in their last outing. The 22-year-old American international could end up having a big say on the end result of this fixture.
Prediction
VfL Wolfsburg 1-2 Borussia Dortmund
Wolfsburg were on a roll having won each of their last four league games before they squared up against SC Freiburg. Having lost in their last outing, they will be eager to bounce back against a Dortmund side that has failed to win any of their last three league games.
While the visitors are not in the best of forms, they still have enough quality in their ranks to return to winning ways. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Nuri Sahin and his charges.
