Wolfsburg will be looking for their second win of the 2024-25 Bundesliga season when they host Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday at Volkswagen Arena in each side's third league game of the season.
The home side are seventh with three points and beat Holstein Kiel 2-0 last time out in the top flight on August 31, while the visitors are ninth with three points and emerged 3-1 victors against Hoffenheim on the same date.
Match preview
© Imago
The hosts' victory against newly-promoted Holstein Kiel was a hard fought win in which both sides produced 13 shots, with five on target.
Goals from Maximilian Arnold in the 27th minute and Sebastiaan Bornauw in the 30th minute were enough to secure all three points and help Wolfsburg bounce back from their opening matchweek defeat against Bayern Munich on August 25.
The Wolves had taken a 2-1 lead against the Bavarians in the 55th minute and caused Vincent Kompany's side numerous issues despite having just 29% possession, but they eventually lost 3-2 to the German giants.
Boss Ralph Hasenhuttl will be hoping that the atmosphere at home against Eintracht Frankfurt is as fervent as the away support was against Holstein Kiel, especially considering his critical comments about the atmosphere last time out at home against Bayern.
Hasenhuttl's side have only won once in their last four Bundesliga games, losing three times, though two of those defeats came against Bayern Munich.
Wolfsburg have lost their last two games at home and have won just two, drawing three times and losing on seven occasions in their last 12 league matches at Volkswagen Arena.
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Opponents Eintracht Frankfurt were deserving winners against Hoffenheim, especially as they created three big chances, three times as many as Die Kraichgauer.
Perhaps most impressive was their ability to maintain control of the match by scoring a quick reply in the 56th minute after Hoffenheim striker Andrej Kramaric had halved his side's 2-0 deficit in the 54th minute.
In their first game of the league season, the Eagles lost 2-0 against Borussia Dortmund on August 24, though Eintracht Frankfurt's Fares Chaibi failed to convert into an empty net from close range in the 71st minute when the scoreline was 0-0.
While manager Dino Toppmoller will be pleased with his team's victory against Hoffenheim, he will hope that the result can be the start of a sustained period of good form given that it was their first win in their last six Bundesliga fixtures.
Toppmoller's side have only won twice in their last 11 top-flight matches and have kept just one clean sheet in their last 17 league games.
Eintracht Frankfurt have also lost four and drawn one of their last five away fixtures in the Bundesliga and have won only two league games on the road in their last 13 attempts.
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Team News
![Eintracht Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmoller in training on August 15, 2024 [on August 17, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/33/dino-toppmoller.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Eintracht Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmoller in training on August 15, 2024 [on August 17, 2024]")
© Imago
Wolfsburg have a number of injury absentees, and will be without Bartosz Bialek, Joakim Maehle, Lukas Nmecha, Kevin Paredes and Rogerio.
The hosts also have doubts about the fitness of midfielder Lovro Majer, but they could name Mattias Svanberg, Salih Ozcan and Maximilian Arnold in midfield.
Eintracht Frankfurt have fewer concerns, but they will still be unable to select Oscar Hojlund and Mehdi Loune.
The visitors could name Rasmus Kristensen and Niels Nkounkou as wing-backs either side of midfielders Ellyes Skhiri and Hugo Larsson.
Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Grabara; Fischer, Bornauw, Zesiger, Kaminski; Svanberg, Ozcan, Arnold; Baku, Wimmer, Tomas
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Tuta, Koch, Theate; Kristensen, Skhiri, Larsson, Nkounkou; Gotze, Marmoush; Ekitike
We say: Wolfsburg 2-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Wolfsburg managed to pose a significant challenge to Bayern Munich, and it would not be surprising if they were able to do so again against Eintracht Frankfurt.
However, the visitors still conceded a number of chances when they lost against Bayern, and they could do so again on Saturday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
![Xabi Alonso gestures during Bayer Leverkusen's match against Borussia Monchengladbach on August 23, 2024 [on August 26, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/11/29/1x1.gif?w=1&h=1 "Xabi Alonso gestures during Bayer Leverkusen's match against Borussia Monchengladbach on August 23, 2024 [on August 26, 2024]")
