Borussia Dortmund – VfL Wolfsburg
During the week, the Champions League started the new season with the 1st matchday of the group phase. In the Bundesliga, on the other hand, the 5th round is already underway this weekend. A team that didn’t exactly cover itself with glory in the top flight wants to make amends in front of its home crowd on Saturday afternoon. Find out in our Dortmund – Wolfsburg betting tips whether the Borussians will be able to win against one of the league’s most unpleasant opponents.
The Black and Yellows have collected eight points in their first four games, which is solid, at least in terms of results. Nevertheless, Borussia Dortmund’s performance in the first three games was extremely poor. In the 4:2 win in Freiburg, they also had luck on their side, but were overall the superior team on the pitch.
The visitors from Wolfsburg, however, started the new season even better on paper. VfL won three of their first four games in the Bundesliga and also sent Union Berlin home without points the previous week. Coach Niko Kovac thus finds his team in sixth place in the league after four games.
Dortmund – Wolfsburg info:
- Date & Time: 23.09.2023, 15:30 hrs.
- Game venue: Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 5
- TV broadcast: Sky
Dortmund Form & Balance Check
The previous season got off to a bumpy start for BVB under the guidance of returning coach Edin Terzic. After the first half of the season, Borussia was only in 6th place. But in the new year, the team found its rhythm and steadily worked its way up the table, narrowly missing out on the championship title.
In the new season, however, the black-and-yellows are picking up where they left off in the last Hinrunde. Borussia has struggled time and again so far, and the two draws against Bochum and Heidenheim were particularly hard on Dortmund fans’ stomachs. In the Champions League, BVB then also disappointed at European level on Tuesday with a 0:2 in Paris.
The attack is faltering
Sébastien Haller made a strong comeback from cancer last season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 19 games. This season, however, the Ivorian has been extremely far from his ideal form.
The attacker is almost incapable of tying up balls in the centre and, with a pass rate of 58.9 per cent, is the ninth worst in the entire league. Meanwhile, Niclas Füllkrug, who brought a breath of fresh air into Borussia’s attack after coming on as a substitute against Freiburg, is the obvious replacement.
Dortmund facts & analysis
- In the preseason in second place in the Bundesliga table.
- Only one Bundesliga defeat in 2023
- Won 4:2 in Freiburg the previous week
Wolfsburg form & balance check
VfL Wolfsburg fought for a long time in the pre-season to make it into the international business and ultimately failed by a hair’s breadth. In the new season, the Wolves with coach Niko Kovac now want to attack even further up the league.
The start has already been a success for the men from the Autostadt. The VfL won the first two games of the new season against Heidenheim and Cologne, before suffering a defeat against Hoffenheim. However, the Lower Saxons then got back on the winning track in their last home game against Union, winning 2-1 against the Eisernen.
Stable Wolves
Coach Niko Kovac does not usually rely heavily on controlling the ball in his system of play. This was also evident, for example, in the opening win against 1. FC Heidenheim. The promoted team from Baden-Württemberg had a total of 52% of possession in the away game at the Volkswagen Arena.
And also in the past duel against Union Berlin, VfL assumed the actual strengths of the opponent. The Wolves were incredibly effective and won 2:1, although the Eisern clearly won the xG comparison with 1.95 to 0.52 in their favour. And also against BVB, the Wolves will probably come up trumps more with a solid defence.
Wolfsburg facts & analysis
- Eighth in the league in the pre-season.
- Won 2:1 against Union in last game
- Scored in every game so far
Predicted line-up – last update on 21 September 2023
Against PSG, coach Terzic sent his team onto the field in an extremely defensive 5-2-1-2. Against Wolfsburg, however, we still expect the usual 4-3-3. New signing Marcel Sabitzer will be missing for BVB after his injury in the Champions League.
For VfL Wolfsburg, we again expect a 4-2-3-1, with Yannick Gerhardt likely to move back into central midfield after his outing on the wing against Union. Lukas Nmecha will miss the duel with his brother on Saturday due to injury.
Dortmund – Wolfsburg direct comparison & statistics
In the 56 meetings between these two teams so far, Dortmund have usually retained the upper hand. Borussia have picked up 33 wins, while there have been twelve draws and eleven victories for Wolfsburg. However, the Wolves triumphed in the previous encounter with a 2:0 victory. In the clash on matchday 31 of last season, however, BVB prevailed with a commanding 6-0 win.
- The last Wolfsburg win in Dortmund was on 08.12.2012.
- Both teams are separated by one point in the league.
- Dortmund win the first half in 49% of their matches, Wolfsburg in 33% of their matches
