Dortmund vs. Wolfsburg preview: BVB look to bounce back
Following last week’s disastrous draw to Bochum, Dortmund return home to face Wolfsburg and continue their title charge as the season begins to wind down.
| Photo: Borussia Dortmund |
Dortmund
BVB once again relented control of their fate last week and now really can’t afford to drop points with just four matchdays remaining. Following Matchday 31, Dortmund don’t have it easy against Gladbach, Augsburg and Mainz to finish things off.
The back-line won't be at full strength on Sunday as there are fitness concerns for Nico Schlotterbeck and Raphael Guerreiro. Donyell Malen and Karim Adeyemi should continue on the wings, and Julian Brandt will have another chance to re-find his form from the off.
In his presser, Edin Terzic commented, "In the last few weeks there have been changes at the top. We know that we don't have it in our own hands at the moment, but we can increase the odds with four wins so we want to keep the pressure on."
When asked what would factor into BVB winning the title, the trainer said, "Come to the stadium on Sunday and have a look."
Team News
Soumaila Coulibaly, Thomas Meunier, Mateu Morey and Julien Duranville are likely unavailable, while Guerreiro and Schlotterbeck are doubtful.
Wolfsburg
With a 5-1 win over Bochum and a surprising 3-0 romp against Mainz in their last two matches, Wolfsburg are up into 7th and have an excellent chance of securing European football. It’s been quite the turnaround for Niko Kovac’s men, who started off the season so poorly.
Micky van de Ven returns from suspension this week to aid a defense who’ve lost Maxence Lacroix for the season. The attack, led by Jonas Wind, is looking efficient even without the presence of Lukas Nmecha, who also unfortunately won’t return during this campaign.
Kovac stated, “With the crowd behind them, (Dortmund) are a real powerhouse at home. They have a coach who has got the team back on the right track. - That all makes it very tough for the opposition, but I hope that we’ll be able to counter with a few things of our own and take our chances when they come.”
Team News
Lacroix, Nmecha and Paulo Otavio are confirmed outs, while Kevin Paredes is questionable. In other news, it was announced this week that Young Boys center-back Cedric Zesiger will join the club in the summer.