VfL Wolfsburg – RB Leipzig
In the midst of a tricky situation, VfL Wolfsburg will host RB Leipzig at the Volkswagen Arena on Friday evening. The Wolves are going through a difficult phase under coach Ralph Hasenhüttl, having lost three times in a row 1-0 and now find themselves in 11th place in the table. After the latest defeat against Union Berlin, captain Maximilian Arnold said: “We have to start picking up points.” On the other side, Leipzig, with 45 points in fifth place, are hot contenders for a European place; they recently beat Hoffenheim 3-1 under interim coach Zsolt Löw. In the last five direct duels between these teams, there has not been a single draw – the last Bundesliga clash even ended with a surprising 5-1 victory for the Wolves, while Leipzig took revenge with a 1-0 win in the DFB Cup.
Wolfsburg – Leipzig Info
- Venue: Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg
- Date and Time: 04/11/2025, 20:30
- Competition: Bundesliga (Matchday 29)
Wolfsburg Form & Bilanz Check
VfL are currently experiencing a noticeable drop in form, underlined by three consecutive 1-0 defeats against Union Berlin, Heidenheim and Augsburg – all opponents who are in similar or even lower table regions. Coach Ralph Hasenhüttl admits that the current points tally is insufficient for higher goals. On the pitch, this is particularly evident in the offense: Wolfsburg have not scored in the first 45 minutes in five games. With challenging tasks against RB Leipzig and Dortmund ahead of them, the team urgently needs to work on their chances. Although they are hoping for the return of the injured Lovro Majer, it remains to be seen whether that will solve their attacking woes. Captain Arnold emphasizes the importance of getting more points to avoid the threat of relegation.
Ralph Hasenhüttl is likely to stick with his preferred 3-4-1-2 system for the upcoming game. Fischer, Roerslev and Odogu are expected to defend in the back three from the start, as Bornauw and Vavro are still out. Crucial in midfield: captain Maximilian Arnold setting the pace, presumably flanked by Vranckx, Kamiński and Gerhardt. Patrick Wimmer could operate as a link between midfield and attack. The duo Amoura and Nmecha are expected up front again, even though the absence of Svanberg further weakens the offensive play. It remains to be seen whether Wind, who has only been a substitute recently, will be allowed to play from the start again.
Leipzig Form & Bilanz Check
At RB Leipzig, the most recent phase resembles a rollercoaster ride: a sobering 0-1 defeat to Borussia Mönchengladbach and the bitter 3-1 loss to Stuttgart in the cup were followed by a hard-fought 3-1 win over Hoffenheim under interim coach Zsolt Löw. Bischofs early goal put the Saxons behind, before goals from Šeško, Baku and Poulsen initiated the turnaround – helped by a red card for Hoffenheim’s Østigård in the 28th minute. In the Bundesliga, Leipzig are in 5th place with two wins, a draw and two defeats from their last five matches, with the notable fact that less than 1.5 goals have been scored in each half in around 80% of their most recent matches. At the same time, the club is undergoing a major upheaval after Marco Rose was dismissed as head coach. The return of talented forward Assan Ouédraogo after an 18-week injury absence is a hopeful sign, and the signing of Ezechiel Banzuzi also points to a possible shake-up of the squad.
On the other side, interim coach Zsolt Löw is likely to prefer the 4-2-2-2 again. Šeško and Openda are set to start up front, both in impressive form of late. Behind them, Arthur Vermeeren and Nicolas Seiwald could once again occupy the central midfield positions, while Baku and Simons will be on the wings. Captain Willi Orbán will lead the back line, supported by Lukeba, with Nedeljković and Raum on the flanks. Xaver Schlager remains out with muscle problems, while Antonio Nusa (knee) and Benjamin Henrichs are also unavailable. Talent Assan Ouédraogo is back in training, but is not yet likely to be an option for the starting lineup.
Wolfsburg – Leipzig head to head & statistics
In the last five duels between Wolfsburg and Leipzig, none of the games ended in a draw. VfL won three and RB two. In February 2025, Leipzig won 1-0 in the DFB Cup, after the Wolves had triumphed with a surprising 5-1 in Leipzig in November 2024. It is worth noting that the number of goals scored is usually low at the beginning: in four of these five encounters, fewer than two goals were scored before half-time. Nevertheless, both teams scored in 80% of cases, which suggests that it is an offensive encounter overall. Wolfsburg have kept a clean sheet in their last two home games, although Leipzig always create chances away from home. The next 90 minutes promise to be another exciting encounter.
