14 January 2025. 9:30 p.m. Wolfsburg. Volkswagen Arena.
Bundesliga 2024-25. Day 17
Suspended : Tiago Thomas (Wolfsburg)
Injured: Rogerio, Kevin Paredes, Lovro Mayer, Bartosz Bialek – Nathan Ngumu
Frank Onora (Borussia)
Wolfsburg
Ralf Rangnick’s men enjoyed great success at the end of October, starting a winning streak with a significant cup win over Borussia Dortmund after extra time. However, a few days later, Wolfsburg could only draw 1–1 at home against Augsburg, before bouncing back with five straight wins. In early December, Wolfsburg easily beat Hoffenheim to reach the quarter-finals of the DFB-Pokal, having previously defeated Heidenheim, Union Berlin, and recorded an impressive 5-1 away victory against RB Leipzig. After their cup triumph, they got the better of Mainz 4-3 at home, having fallen behind three times during the match.
Wolves’ winning streak was ended by Freiburg, who inflicted a 3-2 defeat on Rangnick’s men at home. In their final match of 2024, Wolfsburg again conceded three goals, losing 3-1 to Borussia Dortmund, who had yet to record an away victory in the current league campaign until this point. The new year began with another match against familiar opponents Hoffenheim, where Wolves secured a ‘clean’ 1-0 victory, albeit less convincing than their cup success against them. A single goal from the excellent Mohamed Amura in the 29th minute, following a corner kick, sealed the victory. Both teams had several promising chances to score goals afterwards (with the visitors having slightly more), but the scoreline remained unchanged.
The “Fillies” also finished well last year, going on a run of five unbeaten games in the league. Freiburg once again disrupted this successful series, handing Gladbach a 3-1 defeat at home. Following this disappointment, the team shared the points with Dortmund (1-1) at home, then achieved two consecutive victories, crushing Holstein Kiel 4-1 at home and winning 2-1 away against Hoffenheim. These recent successes have helped Borussia consolidate their position in the middle of the table, keeping an eye on European qualification while maintaining a solid gap to the relegation zone. However, the new year started with a home defeat against Bayern Munich, losing 1-0. Despite this, the hosts’ goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas was man of the match with a series of brilliant saves, although Harry Kane eventually scored from a rather questionable penalty.
Wolfsburg vs Borussia: Expected Lineups
For Wolfsburg, striker Tiago Thomas is suspended due to a collection of yellow cards, while the injured list includes defender Rogerio, versatile players Lovro Mayer and Kevin Paredes, and reserve striker Bartosz Bialek. For the visitors, wing Nathan Ngumu is sidelined, and questions arise over the availability of his post colleague, Frank Onora, a key player in Gerardo Seoane’s team.
Wolfsburg vs Borussia: Author’s Prediction
Last season, the “Fillies” only managed two away victories, winning against Bochum and Wolfsburg. In the current campaign, Gladbach have already secured two away victories against Bochum and Hoffenheim. Meanwhile, Wolves have struggled at home, with just two wins to their name, placing them fifth from bottom in this regard in the league. Only the quartet fighting for relegation had a worse record. It is worth noting that Wolfsburg have not beaten Gladbach for some time, with the unbeaten streak now at ten games, six of which ended in defeats. Just like last season, it is difficult to favor Borussia in this away match against Wolves, but statistics sometimes play a crucial role. Therefore, I am not predicting a winner, but I would suggest betting on high offensive efficiency with goals from both sides.
