Wolfsburg vs Bayern Munich – News and Probable Lineups

Bayern Munich will aim to recover from their Champions League setback by securing a victory in the Bundesliga against Wolfsburg, who will host them at the Volkswagen Arena on Saturday.

Bayern have already clinched the Bundesliga title, entering the penultimate weekend with 83 points, while Wolfsburg, sitting in 16th place, find themselves in the relegation playoff zone with just 26 points.

Match overview

The situation for Wolfsburg is critical as they trail safety by six points and are currently level on points with 17th-placed St Pauli.

The Wolves will visit St Pauli on May 16 in matchweek 34, and head coach Dieter Hecking will hope that the team’s goal difference advantage of three is not overturned by Bayern before that encounter.

This concern is justified, considering that the hosts were thrashed 8-1 by Bayern at Allianz Arena in January, and they have conceded at least three goals in five of their last seven home matches against the Bavarians.

Wolfsburg recently played to a 1-1 draw with Freiburg on May 3, extending their unbeaten run to three games, consisting of two draws and one victory, while they netted three goals and conceded two during those fixtures.

Though the Wolves’ form has improved lately, they are still without a win in their last seven league matches at Volkswagen Arena, suffering five defeats in that stretch.

Bayern Munich were eliminated from the Champions League on Wednesday after drawing 1-1 at the Allianz Arena with Paris Saint-Germain, resulting in a 6-5 aggregate defeat.

Few can dispute that Vincent Kompany’s side contributed to what became one of the most remarkable semi-final ties in modern European football, yet it remains disappointing that his team was largely contained by PSG until the stoppage time in the second half.

Harry Kane’s goal in the 94th minute salvaged a point for the team against the French, marking the first time in 12 matches that the Bavarians were unable to score more than once in a game.

This draw also extended their winless run to three matches across all competitions, with the club needing a 110th-minute equaliser from Michael Olise against Heidenheim on May 2 to secure a 3-3 draw in their latest league fixture.

Bayern can take pride in their impressive away performances, having emerged victorious in 14 of their past 17 games on the road, with their only defeat during that period occurring against PSG in late April.

Kompany will be concerned about how often his players have conceded, having picked the ball out of their net 17 times in their previous seven matches, including four instances where they admitted three or more goals.

Team News

Wolfsburg midfielder Christian Eriksen has played a significant role in their recent improvement, collaborating effectively with Patrick Wimmer and Vinicius Souza, who is expected to be available despite an injury scare against Freiburg.

Mohamed El Amine Amoura leads the team as the top scorer this season in the Bundesliga with eight goals; however, since he was benched in the match against Freiburg, Hecking might choose to field a forward pairing of Dzenan Pejcinovic and Adam Daghim on Saturday.

Bayern Munich will most likely make several adjustments to the lineup that faced elimination from the Champions League on Wednesday, with Jonas Urbig a candidate to take over for Manuel Neuer in goal.

The goalkeeper could be supported by central defenders Kim Min-jae and Hiroki Ito, with both centre-backs hoping for midfield cover from Leon Goretzka and Bara Ndiaye.

Having played extensively on Wednesday, Harry Kane might require a rest, yet the striker will undoubtedly be eager to make a significant impact, suggesting Nicolas Jackson may need to content himself with a spot on the bench.

Wolfsburg probable starting XI:

Grabara; Belotsian, Vavro, Koulierakis; Kumbedi, Wimmer, Souza, Eriksen, Maehle; Pejcinovic, Daghim

Bayern Munich probable starting XI:

Urbig; Stanisic, Kim, Ito, Davies; Goretzka, Ndiaye; Karl, Guerreiro, Diaz; Jackson

Wolfsburg might find opportunities to exploit Bayern’s vulnerabilities, particularly if the visitors struggle to shake off the disappointment of their exit from Europe.

Nonetheless, Kompany has a solid squad at his disposal, and the starting lineup should still possess sufficient quality to confidently navigate through the challenge posed by the Wolves.