Wolfsburg sacked coach Mark van Bommel in midweek following the team’s fourth straight Bundesliga loss. The Wolves have gone from first place in the early stages of the campaign all the way down to ninth currently.
Former Werder Bremen coach Florian Kohfeldt has been appointed in Van Bommel’s place. Kohfeldt’s arrival won’t instill hope in many fans as the coach regularly struggled at Werder Bremen until the team was ultimately relegated last season.
On getting to know the team: "The first conversations have been marked by openness. The players want to bring intensity and dynamism onto the pitch." pic.twitter.com/Qo6xbgseqf— VfL Wolfsburg EN/US 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 (@VfLWolfsburg_EN) October 28, 2021
On getting to know the team: "The first conversations have been marked by openness. The players want to bring intensity and dynamism onto the pitch." pic.twitter.com/Qo6xbgseqf
Bayer Leverkusen go into the fixture in fourth place with 17 points after nine matchdays. Gerard Seoane has had success in his first season at the BayArena. However, Bayer Leverkusen are winless in four straight matches in all competitions.
Like Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen need a win to improve chances of finishing in the Champions League qualification place at the end of the season. Bayer Leverkusen are winless in back-to-back league fixtures. A win over Wolfsburg could take them into third place ahead of Freiburg.
Freiburg are the Bundesliga’s surprise package. They host Greuther Frueth at the weekend and should claim a win to remain in the top four.
Wolfsburg are unbeaten in three straight matches versus Bayer Leverkusen. Their three-match unbeaten run includes two wins.
Bayer Leverkusen have taken 10 points from 18 on offer at home this season. They have outscored opponents 14-12. Wolfsburg have taken six points from 12 on offer away from the VW Arena. Their last two away fixtures ended in losses. They have only scored five road goals.
Seoane has a long list of players suffering from injuries. Emrehan Gediki, Patrik Schick, Piero Hincapie, Karim Bellarabi, Charles, Aranguiz, Julian Baumgartlinger, and Timothy Fosu-Mensah are all ruled out of the match and won’t return until November.
Forward Moussa Diaby is ruled out of the fixture due to a suspension. Injuries are a problem for Seoane. However, Kohfeldt’s team is out of form which gives Bayer Leverkusen the upper hand.
The Wolfsburg coach also has a laundry list of injuries. Sebastiaan Bornauw, Admir Mehmedi, Niklas Klinger, Jerome Roussillon, Luca Waldschmidt, and Wout Weghorst are all ruled out of action due to injuries.
Xaver Schlager, William, and Bartosz Bialek are all three out with long-term injuries which will keep them out until at least December.
Both sides have injury problems, but the issues at Bayer Leverkusen are far less than at Wolfsburg. Kohfeldt has a lot of work to do. Bayer Leverkusen should claim a win at full-time as both teams find the back of the net and over 2.5 goals are scored.
Two of Wolfsburg’s last four matches in the Bundesliga finished 3-1. That score could be replicated on Saturday as Bayer Leverkusen win at home.