Bayer Leverkusen vs Wolfsburg – News and Probable Lineups

Wolfsburg, struggling to escape relegation, will visit Bayer Leverkusen, who are vying for European qualification, at BayArena on Saturday.

Die Werkself is in search of their first victory in six fixtures, while Die Wolfe aims to prevent a fifth defeat in six games.

Match overview

Kasper Hjulmand’s side is currently positioned comfortably in the top six, but their current poor form could lead to increased pressure as the season reaches its conclusion.

With seven matches left in the Bundesliga, Die Werkself is sixth in the standings, eight points clear of seventh-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.

However, Hjulmand’s team was held to a 3-3 draw by Heidenheim, situated at the bottom of the table, extending their winless streak to five matches across all competitions. This was even more troubling as Malik Tillman and Patrik Schick had given them a two-goal advantage.

This fixture comes exactly a month after Leverkusen secured their last win, a narrow 1-0 victory against promoted club Hamburgo SV, and it’s their only league win since a comprehensive 4-0 victory over St Pauli on Valentine’s Day.

Some optimistic fans at the BayArena might point out that despite the absence of victories, the hosts have lost just once in their past eight matches overall, remaining unbeaten at home since a defeat against Stuttgart on January 10.

That said, anything less than three points on Saturday would be seen as a significant disappointment, and should Frankfurt or eighth-placed Freiburg take advantage, Hjulmand’s players could find themselves looking over their shoulder at the competition for a top-six finish.

On the other hand, Wolfsburg finds themselves in a dire relegation situation this term, and having brought in Dieter Hecking on March 8, they are now under their third head coach this season.

Daniel Bauer, who had been with Die Wolfe for many years in various roles, tried to steer the team back on course after the departure of Paul Simonis, but he too was shown the door following an eight-game winless run that included six losses, alongside an 8-1 trouncing by Bayern Munich on January 11.

The club hopes that Hecking’s prior experience, having managed Wolfsburg from 2012 to 2016, will stabilize the team during the final seven matches of the season, although he only managed a point in a 1-1 draw against Hoffenheim on March 14 before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Werder Bremen the following week.

This disappointing return has left Die Wolfe in 17th place, with 21 points, trailing 16th-placed St Pauli in the relegation playoff position by three points and five points adrift of 15th-placed FC Koln.

Knowing that a further setback could seal their fate, the traveling supporters will hope that Wolfsburg can exploit Leverkusen’s current struggles, but given that the visitors have lost four of their last six away matches, even a draw would be considered a positive outcome.

Team News

Leverkusen will be missing several players in the wide positions this weekend, including right wing-back options Arthur and Lucas Vazquez due to ankle and calf injuries, along with left winger Eliesse Ben Seghir, who is also sidelined with an ankle issue.

Furthermore, former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah is out with a thigh injury sustained against Heidenheim, and fellow center-back Loic Bade is doubtful due to a hamstring ailment, potentially leading Tim Oermann to join Robert Andrich and Edmond Tapsoba in defense, flanked by Montrell Culbreath and Alejandro Grimaldo.

Moreover, midfielder Aleix Garcia is suspended due to accumulating five yellow cards, and Martin Terrier is nursing a hamstring injury, which could result in Exequiel Palacios and Ezequiel Fernandez starting in midfield on Saturday.

For Wolfsburg, they are dealing with a defensive crisis, missing center-backs Cleiton Santos (ankle) and Jenson Seelt (knee) due to injuries, and Moritz Jenz, who is suspended after receiving a red card against Werder.

Die Wolfe are also without right-back Kilian Fischer (groin) and left-back Rogerio (knee), but Sael Kumbedi and Joakim Maehle should be ready to fill in at either side of a three-man defense with Jeanuel Belocian, Denis Vavro, and Konstantinos Koulierakis.

Further up the pitch, Bence Dardai is out for the season with a knee injury, while winger Kevin Paredes is dealing with a muscular issue, and attacking midfielder Lovro Majer is suspended after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season against Werder.

In an effort to fill the gaps, Hecking may deploy Christian Eriksen and Vini Souza at the base of his midfield, with Jesper Lindstrom and Mohamed El Amine Amoura operating behind striker Jonas Wind.

Bayer Leverkusen probable starting XI:

Spots; Oermann, Andrich, Tapsoba; Culbreath, Palacios, Fernandez, Grimaldo; Water, Poku; Schick

Wolfsburg probable starting XI:

Grabara; Belotsian, Vavro, Koulierakis; Kumbedi, Eriksen, Souza, Maehle; Lindstrom, Amour; Wind

Leverkusen has faced challenges in recent weeks, yet their resilience indicates that a defeat this weekend is unlikely.

Wolfsburg will be eager for a positive outcome, and they might pose a considerable challenge, but their ongoing struggles could see them drop points on Saturday.