Bulinews
·22 November 2024
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Yahoo sportsBulinews
·22 November 2024
After two consecutive draws in the Bundesliga, Wolfsburg were determined to get back to winning ways before the international break and achieved a solid 3-1 victory at Heidenheim.
The match was notable for 18-year-old Bence Dardai, who marked his first goal for the club, becoming Wolfsburg’s youngest-ever goalscorer, surpassing Maximilian Arnold’s record. Currently sitting in 12th place, Wolfsburg will look to build on this impressive result.
Under the guidance of Ralph Hasenhüttl, Wolfsburg have now gone unbeaten in four consecutive matches across all competitions, including a notable victory over Borussia Dortmund in the DFB-Pokal. The team will aim to extend that unbeaten streak to five matches.
However, achieving this will depend on their ability to improve their form at home, having earned just two points from a possible 15 at the Volkswagen Arena.
That said, Wolfsburg’s solid record in recent Bundesliga meetings against Union at home, four wins and one draw, should provide a confidence boost as they prepare for Saturday's match.
Team News
Wolfsburg face several injury concerns ahead of this weekend's match. Bartosz Bialek (knee), Niklas Klinger (wrist), Lovro Majer (thigh), Kevin Paredes (foot), and Rogerio (knee) are all sidelined. Additionally, Jakub Kaminski and Aster Vranckx are dealing with muscle issues.
On the positive side, Jonas Wind and Tiago Tomas, both tied as the club’s top scorers with three goals, along with Mohamed El Amine Amoura, who has two goals to his name, will be key players hoping to make a decisive impact this weekend.
Although Union Berlin currently sit in sixth place in the Bundesliga table, the international break came at a good time for Bo Svensson’s side, as they had been experiencing a dip in form prior to the pause.
Since their 2-0 win over promoted Holstein Kiel on October 20, Union have failed to win in their last four matches across all competitions: two draws (1-1 against Eintracht Frankfurt and 0-0 against Freiburg), a 3-0 loss to Bayern München, and a surprising 2-0 defeat to Arminia Bielefeld in the DFB-Pokal.
Despite only earning two points from the last nine available, Union Berlin remain in touch with Bayer Leverkusen and Freiburg, and with a strong performance, they could leapfrog both teams by the end of gameweek 11.
However, to keep their Champions League ambitions alive, they must focus on securing a win, disregarding their past struggles at the Volkswagen Arena, where they’ve struggled in previous visits. A victory would not only break Wolfsburg’s four-match unbeaten run but also boost Union’s hopes of climbing into the top four.
That said, the tight nature of the Bundesliga standings means a loss could see Union slide into the lower half of the table, particularly if other results go against them.
Team News
For Union Berlin, Tom Rothe and Lucas Tousart are both uncertain due to muscle problems, while Andrej Ilic, Josip Juranovic, and Yannic Stein are expected to miss the match entirely.
Yorbe Vertessen and Robert Skov have created five clear-cut chances between them, and their creativity could be crucial in breaking down Wolfsburg’s defence.