Bayern Munich will aim to continue the stronghold on the Bundesliga summit when they welcome VfL Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
The second half of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season is kicking off this week with the game between Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund at the Deutsche Bank Park on Friday. The action on Saturday will begin with five simultaneous fixtures, including Bayern Munich vs VfL Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern Munich might not be back to a dominant level this season, but Vincent Kompany has restored Die Roten to the top of the Bundesliga table. The Bavarian giants have blown hot and cold in recent weeks but have maintained their grip on the summit, with Bayer Leverkusen four points behind them. The latest positive result was a comfortable 5-0 win over Hoffenheim earlier this week.
As for VfL Wolfsburg, the last few weeks have produced mixed results, although the visitors are on a two-game winning run in the Bundesliga, returning to action after the winter break in style. The two victories have helped Die Wolfe climb from 11th in the standings to seventh, with fourth-placed RB Leipzig only three points ahead.
The reverse fixture saw Bayern Munich come from a goal down to beat VfL Wolfsburg 3-2, with Serge Gnabry scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Bayern Munich
Vincent Kompany does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Bayern Munich manager will be bereft of the services of five first-team players vs VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday.
Joao Palhinha is the most notable absentee as he continues to recover from a groin injury. The Portuguese international accompanies Daniel Peretz (kidney), Sacha Boey (ankle), Hiroki Ito (foot), and Josip Stanisic (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Manuel Neuer will take his spot between the sticks, with Bayern Munich lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday. The backline should feature Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-jaw, and Alphonso Davies.
As for the midfield unit, Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka will pair up in the double pivot, with Aleksandar Pavlovic being a backup option on the bench. Jamal Musiala will reprise the no. 10 role, with Michael Olise and Kingsley Coman being the two wide attackers. Finally, there is no looking past Harry Kane as the central striker for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Coman; Kane
VfL Wolfsburg
Like his counterpart in the Bayern Munich dugout, Ralph Hasenhuttl does not have any new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to the Allianz Arena. The VfL Wolfsburg manager will be without six first-team players on Saturday.
Lovro Majer is the most notable absentee as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. The Croatian international accompanies Niklas Klinger (wrist), Kevin Paredes (foot), Rogerio (knee), Jakub Kaminski (knock), and Bartosz Bialek (knee) on the sidelines.
Kamil Grabara is an automatic pick between the sticks, with VfL Wolfsburg lining up in a 4-4-2 formation in front of him vs Bayern Munich on Saturday. The backline should feature Kilian Fischer, Denis Vavro, Konstantinos Koulierakis, and Joakim Maehle.
As for the midfield unit, Bence Dardai and Maximilian Arnold will pair up in the central areas, with the duo aiming to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Tiago Tomas and Yannick Gerhardt will be the two wide attackers, with Mohamed Amoura and Jonas Wind starting as the two strikers for Wolfsburg against Bayern Munich.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Grabara; Fischer, Vavro, Koulierakis, Maehle; Tiago Tomas, Dardai, Arnold, Gerhardt;, Amoura, Wind
Key Stats
- Bayern Munich have not lost any Bundesliga games at the Allianz Arena vs VfL Wolfsburg (W25 D2). No other team in Bundesliga history has faced an opponent at home so often without losing.
- Bayern Munich picked up 42 points in their first 17 Bundesliga games of the 2024/25 season. Since Pep Guardiola’s departure in 2016, they have only racked up a higher tally in the 2021/22 campaign (43).
- VfL Wolfsburg have won six of their last eight Bundesliga games (L2) after managing only two victories in their opening nine outings this season. Since Matchday 10, only Bayer Leverkusen (22) and Bayern Munich (19) have collected more points than Die Wolfe (18).
- VfL Wolfsburg have picked up 16 points in their eight away outings in the Bundesliga this season, a club record only previously achieved in the 2018/19 campaign.
- Bayern Munich prodigy Jamal Musiala has scored more goals vs VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga (six) than against any other team.
Player to Watch
Jamal Musiala
Harry Kane and Mohamed Amoura were viable candidates for this section, but we have picked Jamal Musiala as our Player to Watch for Saturday’s game. While Kane will invariably be under the spotlight, his teammate will look to continue his exceptional run against Wolfsburg this weekend.
As iterated earlier, Musiala has scored more goals against Wolfsburg than against any other team in the Bundesliga. The German international has been on the scoresheet in his last four outings against Die Wolfe, something he has never achieved before against any other Bundesliga team. So, the youngster will be eager to extend this fantastic record in Saturday’s game.
Prediction
Bayern Munich 3-1 VfL Wolfsburg
Saturday’s match pits two of the most in-form teams in the Bundesliga since Matchday 10. Only Bayer Leverkusen have racked up more points than Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg during this period, and Die Roten cannot take the visitors lightly on Saturday.
The away side will play on the counter-attack, looking to take advantage of Bayern Munich’s defensive frailties. However, Harry Kane has been excellent throughout this season, while Jamal Musiala always turns up against Wolfsburg. So, the hosts should have the quality to eke a narrow win, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Vincent Kompany and his charges.
