VfL Wolfsburg – SC Freiburg
Freiburg is knocking on the door of European competition, while Wolfsburg is struggling with confidence: Ahead of Saturday’s kickoff at the Volkswagen Arena, the two clubs are separated by thirteen points – and worlds apart in terms of mood. The Breisgauers are in fifth place (48 points) after their 3-2 win over Hoffenheim, while VfL are only in 12th place after six league games without a win. Injury worries are slowing both teams down, but Wolfsburg are missing several regulars in Svanberg, Vranckx, and Rogério. Added to this is an impressive pattern: in each of their last encounters, VfL conceded the decisive goals after the break, against an opponent who is currently brimming with enthusiasm.
Wolfsburg – Freiburg Info
- Venue: Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg
- Date and time: 26.04.2025, 15:30
- Competition: Bundesliga (matchday 31)
Wolfsburg form & record check
Wolfsburg are stuck in a rut: five league games, no wins, four defeats. Although the recent 2-2 draw in Mainz brought a point, their defensive vulnerability remained evident. They conceded at least one goal in all five games, and VfL failed to score in the first half in any of them. Without Svanberg and Bornauw, they lack stability and ideas in build-up play. With 39 points and 12th place in the table, the threat of relegation has been averted, but there is little movement upwards – the season’s goal of European qualification is history. Hasenhüttl continues to focus on defensive compactness, but in four of the last five games, no more than two goals have been scored after the break – an indication that the Wolves are running out of steam.
Wolfsburg’s expected 3-5-2: Grabara – Fischer, Vavro, Koulierakis – Paredes, B. Dárdai, Arnold, Wimmer, Mæhle – Wind, Amoura. A lack of alternatives is likely to force Hasenhüttl to stick with this standard formation, with Arnold remaining the playmaker in the center. The game plan is likely to once again involve quick transitions down the wings.
Freiburg form & record check
Freiburg’s mini-revival: After defeats against Union and Dortmund, there was a 2-1 win in Gladbach and a wild 3-2 victory against Hoffenheim. The Sport-Club has scored in all five of its most recent league games, mostly thanks to a clinical Höler. Defensively, however, they have conceded at least twice every time – never keeping a clean sheet. Schuster is varying his tactics boldly, fielding three left-backs and a classic number 10 at times against Hoffenheim. With 48 points, they are narrowly holding on to fifth place, but a negative goal difference calls for caution. A first clean sheet could be the decisive step towards Europe.
Freiburg are likely to stick with their tried-and-tested 4-4-1-1 formation: Müller – Kübler, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo – Doan, Eggestein, Osterhage, Grifo – Manzambi – Höler. Manzambi will be given more confidence after his debut goal and is expected to cause trouble between the lines. Atubolu, Ogbus, and Kyereh are still out, so major changes to the system are unlikely.
H2H Wolfsburg – Freiburg Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The last five head-to-head matches have produced clear results – never a draw, always goals after the break. In December 2024, Freiburg won 3-2, before that in May 2023 2-0; Wolfsburg’s most recent victory dates back to April 2024 (2-1). Noteworthy: Wolfsburg conceded at least one goal in each of these games, often in the second half. The first 45 minutes remained consistently below 1.5 goals, after which the floodgates opened. Three wins for Freiburg, two for VfL – but this duel has not been goalless for years.
