Seeking to bounce back from their midweek Champions League defeat, Borussia Dortmund are gearing up to welcome Wolfsburg to Westfalenstadion for an exhilarating Bundesliga clash on Saturday afternoon.
The two teams are currently separated by just one point in the Bundesliga standings, with BVB sitting in seventh place with eight points, one spot and one point behind Wolfsburg in sixth.
Match Preview
Borussia Dortmund’s unbeaten start to the new season came to an end on Tuesday night as they were defeated 2-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in their Group F opener at the Parc des Princes.
Goals from Kylian Mbappe and former Dortmund loanee Achraf Hakimi secured a comfortable win for the French giants, adding pressure on BVB boss Edin Terzic following a somewhat inconsistent start to the campaign.
While Dortmund remains unbeaten in the Bundesliga so far this season, they dropped points in disappointing draws against VfL Bochum and newly-promoted Heidenheim, sandwiched between victories over Koln and Freiburg.
In their last match away, Dortmund triumphed over Freiburg with a score of 4-2.
At this early stage of the season, Terzic’s men sit just two points off the top spot in the league.
Their upcoming home fixture against Wolfsburg could be a turning point, as Dortmund has enjoyed plenty of success against their opponents in recent years.
Indeed, Dortmund has emerged victorious in each of their last five home encounters with Wolfsburg, keeping four clean sheets in the process.
Most recently, they secured an astounding 6-0 win at Westfalenstadion in May this year, following a dominant 6-1 victory in the previous campaign.
Wolfsburg may have accumulated only one point more than Dortmund this season, but their promising start has filled their supporters with optimism.
They have won four out of their first five matches across all competitions.
After narrowly missing out on European football last season, Wolfsburg has shown their strength by claiming maximum points against Heidenheim, Koln, and Union Berlin.
Their most recent victory came on home soil as they defeated Union Berlin 2-1, thanks to goals from Jonas Wind and summer signing Joakim Maehle.
Nico Kovac’s side is now gearing up for a challenging set of fixtures against Dortmund, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Bayer Leverkusen.
However, it’s worth noting that Wolfsburg clinched 15 points from a possible 24 against these teams last season, suffering only one defeat.
Wolfsburg, who triumphed over Dortmund with a 2-0 victory at home in November last year, is determined to secure their first top-flight away win at Westfalenstadion since December 2012, when they won 3-2.
Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga form: WDWW
Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions): WWDWDL
Wolfsburg Bundesliga form: WWLW
Wolfsburg form (all competitions): WWWLW
Team News
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Marcel Sabitzer was forced off in the first 14 minutes of the PSG defeat due to a groin injury. He joins Mateu Morey (knee) and Thomas Meunier (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Terzic is likely to shift from a 3-5-2 formation to the more familiar 4-3-3 setup on Saturday.
Ramy Bensebaini is expected to be recalled at left-back, replacing Niklas Sule. Either Marius Wolf or Julian Ryerson will start at right-back.
Felix Nmecha is eager to face his former club as he looks to start in center-midfield.
Niclas Fullkrug seems to have overcome a tendon issue after making two substitute appearances in the last two matches.
The 30-year-old forward will compete with Sebastien Haller for a starting position alongside Donyell Malen and Karim Adeyemi.
On the other hand, Wolfsburg will be without Kilian Fischer and Lukas Nmecha, who are recovering from knee injuries.
Striker Jonas Wind has made an impressive start to the season, scoring six goals in his first five games.
He is expected to lead the line once again, supported by Patrick Wimmer, Lovro Majer, and Yannick Gerhardt.
Ridle Baku and Sebastiaan Bornauw will be pushing for a place in the defense after starting the last match as substitutes.
However, Kovac is likely to stick with the same back four of Maehle, Lacroix, Jenz, and Rogerio.
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Kobel;
Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini;
Nmecha, Can, Brandt;
Malen, Fullkrug, Adeyemi
Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Casteels;
Maehle, Lacroix, Jenz, Rogerio;
Svanberg, Arnold;
Wimmer, Majer, Gerhardt;
Wind
Prediction
Although Dortmund has dominated their recent meetings with Wolfsburg at home, Saturday’s match could be a closer affair due to the teams’ similar form in the early stages of the season.
Terzic will be looking for a strong response from his players after their midweek European loss.
We believe that Dortmund’s attacking prowess might give them the edge in securing all three points in this thrilling encounter.
Final score prediction: Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Wolfsburg
