Wolfsburg vs Hoffenheim

Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Bundesliga clash between Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Wolfsburg will be looking to shake off a disappointing DFB Pokal exit when they return to Bundesliga action against Hoffenheim at the Volkswagen Arena this Sunday.

The Wolves have only picked up one victory in eight games across all competitions, while Die Kraichgauer are looking to bag their third straight Bundesliga win.

Match previewWolfsburg manager Paul Simonis was able to breathe a sigh of relief when his men ended their four-match losing run in the Bundesliga with a 1-0 victory over newly promoted Hamburger SV.

Unfortunately for the Dutchman, the spotlight is back on him following a surprise home defeat to second tier Holstein Kiel in the second round of the DFB Pokal.

Arguably one of the most worrying aspects of Wolfsburg’s recent form is their inability to win games at home, with the Wolves failing to taste victory at the Volkswagen Arena since a 5-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach back in mid-January.

Since then, Simonis and his men have gone 13 games without a home success, losing six and drawing seven of those encounters.

Wolfsburg are four points clear of the bottom three heading into the weekend, but that does not change the fact that the manager is currently embroiled in a fight to keep his job.

Hoffenheim, on the other hand, are enjoying a strong start to their Bundesliga campaign, having picked up 13 points from their opening eight matches.

Six of those points have come in the last two games, with Christian Ilzer and his men getting the better of St Pauli and Heidenheim – scoring three goals in both those fixtures.

Hoffenheim are now looking to win three successive Bundesliga matches – something they have not managed since a four-match winning run back in September 2023.

While Die Kraichgauer did suffer a somewhat disappointing DFB Pokal defeat against St Pauli on Tuesday night, spirits remain high as the team prepare to make the trip to Wolfsburg.

Hoffenheim have not beaten their upcoming rivals in four matches, though considering their current run of form, they will be feeling rather confident as they look to maintain their charge up the Bundesliga standings.

Wolfsburg Bundesliga form:

D L L L L W 

Wolfsburg form (all competitions):

L L L L W L 

Hoffenheim Bundesliga form:

W L D L W W 

Hoffenheim form (all competitions):

L D L W W L 

Team News

Wolfsburg are still dealing with a host of injuries as they head into the weekend.

Killian Fischer, for instance, has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, and he is expected to sit out Sunday’s match.

Defender Moritz Jenz has also spent the last two matches on the sidelines due to a hip injury; his return is unlikely to take place against Hoffenheim.

Jesper Lindstrom is another name on the injury list, with the 25-year-old struggling with a reoccurring groin problem.

Joakim Maehle is a doubt due to a shoulder injury, while Kevin Paredes and Rogerio are both long-term absentees.

Hoffenheim, meanwhile, are missing defender Valentin Gendrey through an ankle injury and Adam Hlozek with a foot problem.

Koki Machida is also struggling with his knee, while Arthur Chaves and Vladimir Coufal are both doubts.

Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:

Grabara; Kumbedi, Seelt, Koulierakis, Zehnter; Arnold, Vinicius; Daghim, Eriksen, Amoura; Wind

Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:

Baumann; Prass, Hranac, Hajdari, Bernardo; Kramaric, Avdullahu, Burger, Toure; Asllani, Lemperle

We say: Wolfsburg 1-2 HoffenheimPoor results, woeful home form, a manager under pressure, and a host of injuries to deal with – there is really nothing positive we can say about Wolfsburg at this moment.

Hoffenheim, on the other hand, are looking to secure a hat-trick of Bundesliga wins, and we are backing them to do just that.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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