Wolfsburg will be taking on FC Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg on the 14th of May. Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will look to finish their campaign on a strong and positive note when they travel to Wolfsburg on Saturday for their final match of the 2021/22 season.
The league champions have failed to win in both their matches since confirming the 10th consecutive title in a row against Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker. However, the hosts have been in strong form in recent weeks, which has been a positive end for an otherwise disappointing campaign.
Wolfsburg have had an underwhelming season and have performed way below expected standards for most of it. With that being said, however, they are finally showing their true potential in the last few weeks and will be looking to end the campaign on a high note.
They have secured three wins and have lost just one match in their last five encounters in the Bundesliga. This has seen Florian Kohfeldt’s team climb the table and they have successfully avoided any fears of being dragged into a relegation battle towards the closing stages.
They secured a 1-0 win over FC Koln away from home last weekend, which is perhaps the best result of the bunch. This allowed Die Wolfe to exorcise the ghost that has been their horrific away record in the league this season and they came out on top against a formidable opponent and at a difficult venue.
Yannick Gerhardt was the only scorer of the day as he found the back of the net just before halftime. Wolfsburg will also have to thank backup goalkeeper Pavao Pervan for a top-notch performance as they came away with all three points secured from the contest.
Despite the win against FC Koln, Wolfsburg continue to occupy the 13th spot on the league table. They will be aware of Bayern Munich’s poor form heading into this contest and if they manage to secure a favourable result against the league champions, they will be able to climb as many as three places. However, even with that, it won’t be enough to warrant them of finish in the top half of the table.
Florian Kohfeldt, who had felt a lot of pressure regarding the team’s poor performances a few weeks earlier, has managed to silence critics with the recent upturn in form. However, the 39-year-old will have his work cut out for him when he faces a difficult challenge against the league champions on the final day of the season ahead of what promises to be a busy summer for Die Wolfe.
On the other hand, champions Bayern Munich are heading to the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg on the back of a couple of extremely disappointing results in the Bundesliga. Bayern confirmed their status as champions for the 10th time in a row over the last decade, after beating their arch-rivals and title challengers Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker. However, since that magnificent result at the Allianz Arena, they lost their match against Mainz 05 and could only manage a stalemate against relegation-threatened Stuttgart.
The 3-1 defeat at the hands of Mainz away from home could be attributed down to a perfect case of a team suffering from a hangover as a result of title celebrations. Julian Nagelsmann’s team were no match against the intensity of the hosts and ended up falling short in all departments.
It was natural for fans of Bayern Munich to expect a strong response from the league champions on their final home game of the season at the Allianz Arena last weekend. However, surprisingly, Bayern were once again well below their usual standards of excellence and could only manage a stalemate against a Stuttgart side who are fighting to stay up float in the top flight of German football.
The four-man backline that was deployed by Nagelsmann was caught wide open and prone to counterattacks from Stuttgart on numerous occasions. At the other end of the pitch, the likes of Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski, who are usually very safe and prolific in front of goal, were guilty of missing several gilt-edged opportunities.
French winger Kingsley Coman received his marching orders in the fifth minute of injury time with summed up a rather disappointing evening for Bayern Munich in front of their home fans. However, Julian Nagelsmann will expect an appropriate response from his men as they end their campaign at the Volkswagen Arena on Saturday.
WOB vs FCB, Bundesliga 2021/22
Date: 14th April, 2022
Time: 7:00 PM IST
Venue: Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg
FORM GUIDE:
VfL Wolfsburg Bundesliga form:
- L-W-L-W-D-W
VfL Wolfsburg from (all competitions):
- L-W-L-W-D-W
Bayern Munich Bundesliga form:
- W-W-W-W-L-D
Bayern Munich form (all competitions):
- W-D-W-W-L-D
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
VfL Wolfsburg wins: 3
Draws: 3
Bayern Munich wins: 28
TEAM NEWS:
VfL Wolfsburg Team News: Wolfsburg first-choice goalkeeper Koen Casteels missed the clash last weekend against FC Koln due to a shoulder problem. He is also expected to be out of contention for this mega clash against Bayern Munich, which means that Pavao Pervan will start between the sticks once again.
Paulo Otavio, William and Luca Waldschmidt are nursing long-term injuries and will definitely be on the sidelines for the hosts in their final league match of the season. Center-back Micky van de Ven had to deputize for the injured Jerome Roussillon at the full-back position last weekend after he was forced off with a knock. Roussillon is a doubt for this game as well and Van de Ven looks set to continue out of position.
Sebastian Bornauw might also end up missing this encounter at home as he has been suffering from a back issue. Should he miss out, head coach Florian Kohfeldt is expected to utilize a four-man defence.
Bayern Munich Team News: As far as the visitors are concerned, French winger Kingsley Coman will miss this trip to the industrial city of Wolfsburg after seeing a red card in the closing stages of the previous encounter. Therefore, Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala might be in contention to start in his place. Sane’s participation also depends on whether he has recovered from the illness which saw him missing out on the fixture against Stuttgart last weekend.
Corentin Tolisso’s hamstring injury continues to keep him on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Bouna Sarr and Omar Richards’ participation in this clash is also doubtful because of a knee injury as well as an illness respectively. Eric Choupo-Moting might also be out of contention due to a knee injury he has been nursing for a while.
VfL Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Pervan; Baku, Lacroix, Brooks, Roussillon; Kruse, Schlager, Arnold, Gerhardt; Wind, L Nmecha
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Pavard, Upamecano, Hernandez, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Gnabry, Muller, Sane; Lewandowski
Predictions:
There’s no question that Wolfsburg have improved massively in terms of their performances and results in recent weeks. Florian Kohfeldt has shown enough to have Wolfsburg fans believing on their road to resurgence and they have something stable to build on for next season.
The hosts also possess the ability to hit Bayern on the counter and find the back of the net. The league champions have been shaky in defense in recent games and that is a vulnerable area for Julian Nagelsmann to address. With that being said, however, if the league champions Bayern Munich return to their usual standards, then Wolfsburg will have a terrible time at home. The Bavarians, unquestionably, will start as the favourites when the curtains are drawn on their league campaign on Saturday.
WOB vs FCB Fantasy XI No. 1
WOB vs FCB Fantasy XI No. 2
