Wolfsburg vs Borussia Dortmund

Volkswagen Arena forms the backdrop for a heavyweight mid-table Bundesliga clash between Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund.

Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has transformed Wolfsburg from potential relegation candidates to viable European contenders, guiding them to four consecutive Bundesliga victories before a gut-wrenching 3-2 defeat at Freiburg last time out. Hasenhuttl has also turned the Volkswagen Arena into a fortress, with ‘Die Wolfe’ going unbeaten in their last five competitive outings (W3, D2)! Wolfsburg can also fall back on a two-game undefeated home league streak against upcoming visitors Dortmund (W1, D1). Adding to their confidence, they squeaked past ‘Die Borussen’ in DFB-Pokal action in October (1-0 AET), which accounts for only their second win across their last 19 meetings with the Signal Iduna Park outfit in all competitions (D2, L15). Six of the seven most recent H2Hs on this ground have produced under 2.5 goals, highlighting the potential for a low-scoring fixture. 

Meanwhile, TSG Hoffenheim’s last-gasp equalizer in last weekend’s 1-1 draw significantly intensified the pressure on Borussia Dortmund boss Nuri Sahim amid the club’s tepid four-game winless streak in all competitions (D3, L1). An underwhelming run of three consecutive Bundesliga draws pinned ‘Die Borussen’ to mid-table, though they trailed fourth-placed RB Leipzig by only five points pre-round. For a club of Dortmund’s stature, it’s unacceptable to go winless in all six away league matches this season (D2, L4)! Sahin’s men netted a substandard five goals on those road trips at an average of 0.83 per game. That has massively contributed to the club’s joint-worst top-flight start in seven seasons.