Bayer Leverkusen are preparing for a tough away clash at VfL Wolfsburg, as Xabi Alonso’s men are eager to stay in touching distance of the top spot.
Ralph Hasenhuttl has evolved this VfL Wolfsburg side into being one of the most entertaining outfits in the Bundesliga as they get set to host Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. Their current spot does not tell the whole story, as they are only four points off fourth-placed RB Leipzig. And the Austrian manager would want to make the jump into Champions League places this season.
Wolfsburg’s form in recent matches does need questioning given they aspire to finish in the top four places, as Hasenhuttl’s side are winless in their last three Bundesliga games. Last weekend, they managed to hold off third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt in an entertaining game at the Volkswagen Arena, and they have lost only once in their last eight games at home.
Wolfsburg are now set to face another top three team in quick succession, and Hasenhuttl will hope to get another positive result from it. The big idea here is not to lose a home clash while taking their visitors’ pressure situation into account and taking advantage of it.
Bayer Leverkusen faltered in their bid to keep up the pressure on Bayern Munich at the top, with the leaders still maintaining a six-point advantage over the reigning champions. A hard-fought draw against RB Leipzig has been the only time Xabi Alonso’s side dropped points in 11 Bundesliga games, which is quite incredible considering they are chasing the Bavarian giants.
In some of the previous games, Leverkusen also secured passage into the UEFA Champions League last 16, as well as progressing into the DFB-Pokal semi-finals. They also beat Wolfsburg in the reverse fixture when Victor Boniface scored a second-half injury-time winner, and Alonso will be hoping for a more comfortable win this time around.
While Wolfsburg have a good enough record on home soil, they might be dwarfed by Bayer Leverkusen’s formidable away record. Alonso’s men have now lost once in 26 league games in the Bundesliga, having won 19 of those games, which does make them slight favourites coming to the Volkswagen Arena.
Team News & Tactics
VfL Wolfsburg
Some defensive absentees could create problems for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s setup, as goalkeepers Kamil Grabara and Niklas Klinger are absent from proceedings. Defender Rogerio is also missing from action, as Marius Muller could be the winning starting between the sticks for Wolfsburg against Bayer Leverkusen.
Hasenhuttl could potentially use a backline consisting of Kilian Fischer, Denis Vavro, Konstantinos Koulierakis, and Joakim Maehle. The Wolfsburg coach also has problems with his attacking players, as Bartosz Bialek, Kevin Paredes, and Lovro Majer are missing from action.
Those absentees could potentially mean Hasenhuttl could line up with Jonas Wind, Mohamed El Amine Amoura, and Tiago Tomas in that frontline.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Muller; Fischer, Vavro, Koulierakis, Maehle; Svanberg, Arnold, Gerhardt; Tomas, Wind, Amoura
Bayer Leverkusen
The big concern for Xabi Alonso is the absence of key man Alejandro Grimaldo following his dismissal in the previous game. He will be suspended for this trip to Wolfsburg, as Aleix Garcia is expected to deputise on paper.
However, the Spaniard’s importance in the setup means Alonso could potentially tweak his system a bit. This means that the Bayer Leverkusen manager could probably use a back four, with Piero Hincapie operating in the left-back role.
Considering Grimaldo has started more as an attacking player on the left, Nathan Tella could potentially replace him in that position, so there are plenty of possibilities for Alonso to tweak. In terms of injuries, Jeanuel Belocian and Martin Terrier are out for the remainder of the season with ACL and Achilles injuries, respectively, while Amine Adli is only now returning from his calf injury, so he might be unavailable.
On the positive side, midfielder Robert Andrich returns from a suspension, so he could slot in the midfield setup alongside Granit Xhaka. In the front line, Tella could line on the left with Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong in the other attacking positions behind striker Patrik Schick.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Hradecky; Mukiele, Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie; Xhaka, Andrich; Frimpong, Wirtz, Tella; Schick
Key Stats
- Bayer Leverkusen are undefeated in their last 18 matches in the Bundesliga.
- Bayer Leverkusen have been winning at both half-time and full-time in six of their last eight matches in the Bundesliga.
- Bayer Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last 26 Bundesliga games away from home.
- Wolfsburg have failed to win their last three Bundesliga matches.
- Wolfsburg have lost only once in their last eight home games.
Player to Watch
Florian Wirtz
The attacking midfielder is back in the news with transfer links to some of the big clubs outside of Germany, as he will be taking that in his stride for the progress made while at Bayer Leverkusen. He still has a bit of part to play this season for Xabi Alonso’s side as his team is currently chasing Bayern Munich.
Wirtz has the personality to step up and be the big man for the club, something Alonso wants to see more often. He will be the most important player for Bayer Leverkusen when they travel to Wolfsburg, and the German international must put in a clutch performance to keep his team in touching distance of Bayern Munich at the top of the standings.
Prediction
VfL Wolfsburg 1-3 Bayer Leverkusen
This has the hallmarks of an entertaining clash in the Bundesliga, with VfL Wolfsburg’s home form likely to face a stern test against the in-form away side in the competition for over 18 months. Ralph Hasenhuttl also has injuries to contend with, which could determine the direction of this game.
Bayer Leverkusen are in a fantastic run of form in the Bundesliga as well as under tremendous pressure to keep up their distance with Bayern Munich in the standings. On quality alone, Leverkusen could have a bigger say on proceedings, as they have the players to take three points at a tough away destination. Xabi Alonso’s men should come out on top with three points.
