Wolfsburg aims to terminate their prolonged streak without victories as they prepare to host Augsburg at the Volkswagen Arena this Saturday.
The protracted lack of success, coupled with poor performance from the current bottom three teams, constitutes the primary obstacle preventing Wolfsburg from being drawn into a relegation battle presently. Conversely, Augsburg has managed to distance themselves from relegation concerns and are presently posing a challenge to secure European berths.
Match preview
Wolfsburg enters the upcoming weekend maintaining their position at 13th in the Bundesliga standings, holding steady at 25 points following their recent defeat. They find themselves level with Union Berlin and VfL Bochum, teetering just above the relegation zone.
In their previous match, Wolfsburg faced the daunting task of challenging the undefeated league leaders, Bayer Leverkusen, after Moritz Jenz received a red card, leaving them with ten men for the majority of the game. Despite a commendable effort, they ultimately succumbed to a 2-0 loss, further extending their winless streak to 10 games, marking the club’s most unfavorable run of results in the 21st century. Their current strategy appears to hinge on the inability of teams below them to close the gap.
Of the teams enduring similar struggles, only Darmstadt, situated at the bottom of the table, have accrued fewer points than Wolfsburg over the aforementioned 10-game period. Therefore, Wolfsburg must remain vigilant, particularly as Koln and Mainz may seek to stage a late-season resurgence.
Historically, Augsburg has proven to be formidable opponents for Wolfsburg since their promotion to the Bundesliga in 2012. Out of 12 encounters at Wolfsburg’s stadium, they have secured victory in just three instances, albeit with one particularly notable triumph, an emphatic 8-1 victory in 2019.
Conversely, Augsburg’s recent performances contrast starkly with Wolfsburg’s struggles. Despite their proximity to the relegation zone merely three weeks ago, Jess Thorup’s team has surged in form, currently occupying the ninth position in the league table, trailing seventh-placed Hoffenheim by a single point. This resurgence is especially noteworthy given their recent three-game winning streak, including consecutive victories at home against Heidenheim and Freiburg, as well as a dominant 6-0 win over Darmstadt, during which they amassed a five-goal lead within the opening half-hour.
With the top six positions in the Bundesliga seemingly secured, the race for seventh place becomes pivotal, potentially offering a pathway to European competition, especially if Bayer Leverkusen secures victory in the DFB-Pokal. Augsburg’s recent ascent positions them as legitimate contenders for this coveted spot, particularly with second-tier and third-tier clubs remaining in the semi-finals of the cup competition.
Team News
Wolfsburg will be deprived of the services of defender Jenz due to his dismissal in the initial half during the match at the BayArena last weekend.
Accompanying Jenz on the suspension roster is Yannick Gerhardt, whose booking against Leverkusen has led to his suspension for the forthcoming fixture. However, Joakim Maehle will make his comeback after serving a suspension in the preceding encounter against the league leaders.
In other news concerning the sidelined players, Jakub Kaminski’s participation remains uncertain due to illness, while Lukas Nmecha is nearing his return following recovery from a muscle injury.
On the Augsburg front, Mads Pedersen will make his return from suspension after a three-game absence resulting from a serious foul which led to his dismissal against Mainz.
However, Niklas Dorsch will be absent due to a foot injury, joining Patric Pfeiffer and Raphael Framberger on the injury list for the visiting team.
Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Casteels; Baku, Lacroix, Bornauw, Rogerio; Vranckx, Arnold; Majer, Cerny, Paredes; Behrens
Augsburg possible starting lineup:
Dahmen; Gumny, Bauer, Uduokhai, Iago; Jensen, Jakic, Maier, Vargas; Tietz, Demirovic