Bayer Leverkusen head into the home meeting with Wolfsburg knowing that a strong finish can still keep their top-four hopes alive. The BayArena clash also carries pressure for the visitors, who sit deep in the relegation zone and need points quickly to avoid a disastrous end to the season.
Leverkusen are sixth in the table and hold an eight-point cushion over seventh-placed Eintracht Frankfurt. Kasper Hjulmand’s side were held to a 3-3 draw by bottom side Heidenheim in their last outing, despite first-half goals from Malik Tillman and Patrick Schick giving them a two-goal lead.
Leverkusen’s team news
Hjulmand has a few absences to manage before this Bundesliga fixture. Arthur and Lucas Vázquez are unavailable, Jarell Quansah remains sidelined after picking up a thigh injury against Heidenheim, and Aleix García is suspended.
The injuries and suspension reduce Leverkusen’s options, but the squad still has enough experience and attacking quality to control possession and create chances. That makes the selection around midfield and the back line especially important, with the coach likely to lean on players who can keep the tempo high and limit Wolfsburg’s counters.
Wolfsburg’s situation
Wolfsburg arrive in 17th place with 21 points and five points from safety. Their last league win came in January against St. Pauli, and they have now gone 10 matches without a victory, a run that has left little margin for error.
Dieter Hecking continues to deal with several defensive problems. Kilian Fischer and Rogerio are out injured, while Moritz Jenz is suspended after his previous match, which forces further changes in a back line already under pressure.
Predicted Leverkusen line-up
- Flekken
- Oermann
- Andrich
- Tapsoba
- Culbreath
- Palacios
- Fernández
- Grimaldo
- Maza
- Poku
- Schick
This shape suggests Leverkusen could use a flexible defensive setup with Grimaldo given licence to support attacks from wide areas. Schick remains the main reference point in the final third, while Palacios and Fernández can help Leverkusen keep control in midfield.
Predicted Wolfsburg line-up
- Grabara
- Belocian
- Vavro
- Koulierakis
- Kumbedi
- Eriksen
- Souza
- Mæhle
- Lindstrøm
- Amoura
- Wind
Wolfsburg may try to stay compact and use pace in transition, especially with Jesper Lindstrøm and Mohamed Amoura behind Jonas Wind. Saël Kumbedi and Joakim Mæhle are both candidates to start on the flanks, giving the away side width as they look for a first win in more than two months.
Leverkusen will see this match as an opportunity to pressure the teams above them, while Wolfsburg need a result to stay in touch with safety. The balance of the fixture points to Leverkusen having more of the ball, but Wolfsburg’s urgency and direct attacking options could still make the contest tighter than the table suggests.
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