Wolfsburg vs. RB Leipzig preview: Can die Wölfe end winless run?
Wolfsburg will attempt to claim their first league win since September when they play host to RB Leipzig on Saturday.
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg began the Bundesliga season with an encouraging run of results, winning four of their opening six matches. However, since beating Eintracht Frankfurt on September 30, they have gone five league games without picking up a victory.
After suffering three consecutive defeats, die Wölfe managed to halt their losing league run with a 2-2 draw with Werder Bremen. Although they would have been disappointed to drop points in that contest after establishing a 2-1 lead against die Werderaner.
In their final game before the international break, Niko Kovac’s side fell to a heavy 4-0 defeat to Borussia Mönchengladbach, with the result leaving them in 11th place and six points adrift of the top six.
Although their recent league form does not offer too much reason for inspiration, Wolfsburg can take confidence from the fact their only win since September took place against RB Leipzig in the DFB-Pokal. A Václav Černý effort proved decisive as Wolfsburg claimed a narrow 1-0 home victory to eliminate the holders in October’s cup tie.
Team News
Wolfsburg go into Saturday's game without Patrick Wimmer, Lukas Nmecha and Joakim Maehle.
RB Leipzig
For Leipzig, they were unable to produce an immediate response to the cup defeat, as they went on to lose 2-0 in their away clash with Mainz 05. However, they ultimately got back on track with a 2-1 win over Crvena zvezda in the Champions League, which secured their place in the knockout round with two games to spare.
They backed up their European success with a 3-1 victory against Freiburg in their final game before the international break. Xavi Simons saw his opener cancelled out by Merlin Röhl, but a Loïs Openda penalty and a Christoph Baumgartner effort ensured Leipzig took all three points.
As a result, die Roten Bullen will head into the weekend in fourth position with a two-point buffer to fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund. Leipzig will be hoping to maintain their top-four position with a win on Saturday, as they seek revenge for their DFB-Pokal defeat. Although they came off second best in the cup tie, Leipzig have won each of their last three Bundesliga games against Wolfsburg.
Team News
Leipzig's absentee list includes Peter Gulacsi, El Chadaille Bitshiabu, Dani Olmo, Willi Orban and Timo Werner.