Bundesliga 2025/26 Relegation Check | Wolfsburg | OneFootball

As the 2025/26 Bundesliga relegation race heats up, Get German Football News is pleased to release “relegation check” features checking in on German clubs fighting the drop. This week, we’ll be checking in with VfL Wolfsburg; a Bundesliga club we’ve devoted quite a bit of attention to on this site. Times are certainly trying for Germany’s green company team. This weekend’s loss leaves plenty convinced that relegation is all but a certainty.

There’s certainly no denying that Wolfsburg’s crisis remains especially acute. While so many of the other clubs we’ve covered in this series (Augsburg, Gladbach, St. Pauli, and Bremen to name a few) are racking up the necessary points and collecting enough sanguine momentum, Wolfsburg remain mired in the drop zone. The team’s last win came against St. Pauli in January. A paltry three points have been obtained in the nine fixtures since. 

We’ve much to discuss here.

VfL Wolfsburg

Entering the season, one already knew that Wolfsburg needed a complete administrative overhaul. Now that two coaches, the sporting director, and the managing director have all been sacked, the Lower Saxons have succeeded in getting it. Alas, it was all done in a piecemeal and haphazard fashion. Sporting director Sebastian Schindzierlorz followed head coach Paul Simonis out the door in November.

Manager Peter Christiansen and trainer Daniel Bauer then got the double axe a couple of weeks ago. So much tumult. All likely too little, too late. Nothing remains of the coaching or administrative apparatus this club began the season with. An ambitious enough January transfer window still renders this financially strapped club severely over-leveraged. Wolfsburg may finally be headed back down to the 2. Bundesliga.

There’s not a lot to speak for survival. 

Trainer Check, Wolfsburg

The appointment of former Wolfsburg trainer Dieter Hecking didn’t exactly stir a great deal of excitement in German footballing circles. What the 61-year-old once accomplished with the “Autostädter” takes a back seat to what Hecking wasn’t able to accomplish last year with VfL Bochum. Hecking’s “old school style” led to the mismanagement of leading goal-scorer Myron Boadu, among other players. In the end, Bochum finished dead last in the Bundesliga table despite the fact that they clawed some points off relegation rivals 1. FC Union Berlin administratively. 

When one thinks about Hecking, one often cannot separate his ways from that of his fellow German footballing elder statesman (and former Wolfsburg coach) Felix Magath. Football simply isn’t the same as it was during the respective heydays of these two men. That isn’t to suggest that professionals should be coddled and coaxed. One nevertheless questions how much motivating power such figures have left.

In his very first Bochum presser last October, Hecking famously remarked that a 1-1 draw with Leverkusen resulted from him telling his troop that there was an obscure Westphalian festival he wished to attend as soon as the match was over. This made for decent copy, but few reporting on Hecking’s early days at the Revierklub felt that Hecking’s way of placing himself as the center-of-attention would work long term. 

Key Performer Check, Wolfsburg

Jonas Wind, Striker

Hecking has actually expressed a great deal of support for the Danish forward, who still hasn’t gotten his name on the scoresheet this season. Hecking spoke of a “rough phase” for Wind. This qualifies as perhaps the understatement of the entire Bundesliga campaign. Wind’s acerbic public comments and never-ending transfer requests make it crystal clear that the 27-year-old feels no real attachment to this club. Hecking’s attempt to re-invigorate his interest for Wolfsburg almost makes it seem as if the new coach is totally out of touch with reality. 

Wind relieved Dzenan Pejcinovic during Hecking’s first match in charge, then took over the Germany U21 international’s starting place this weekend. Results? Sketchy at best. Wind barely appears fit and, understandably enough, doesn’t wish to endanger his future career prospects by risking injury. At best, Wind can pick up some extra marking whilst Mohamed Amoura works his game on the left. The problem remains that few Bundesliga players take Wind seriously enough to deserve extra attention at this point. Hecking’s backing of Wind seems ill-advised.

Dzenan Pejcinovic, Striker

Hecking certainly has his reasons for not turning to the streaky German youngster who simply hasn’t been able to perform on a consistent basis this season. It might probe the case that Pejcinovic can pick up some confidence with Antonio Di Salvo’s DFB Juniors over the coming international break. In point of fact, such as outcome is something Hecking and the rest of his staff should be beseeching the football gods for. There aren’t any other alternatives. Amoura (noted above) works better on the left lane whilst Wind’s Danish compatriots Jesper Lindstrøm and Adam Daghim should work the right rail. 

New January singing Kento Shiogai’s game still isn’t up to Bundesliga level. Neither the author nor many others covering the Bundesliga beat believe that a “Jonas Wind Renaissance” is feasible. If Wolfsburg are to truly pull off a miracle. one of the two covered center forwards must write a sensational chapter in the ongoing story of their career and their team. With the unbridled joy of being proven wrong firmly in mind, the author will say that he sincerely doubts we’ll hear much about either striker in the Bundesliga both this year and next. 

Christian Eriksen, Attacking midfielder

Addressing the performances of yet another one of the Danes Peter Christiansen brought on board leads us to an “amalgam” section. Eriksen has managed to get his conditioning in order and (slightly) exceeded the expectations most of us had of him as a player. Now he must demonstrate that – working in tangent with deeply committed “club men” Maximilian Arnold and Yannick Gerhardt – he can emerge as a true leader both on the pitch and in the locker room. This leadership trio must dig deeper personally than they ever had before. 

Vinicius Souza, Attacking midfielder

The tactics selection below has some positives to report on the big summer transfer bust. Souza finally appears to be finding his footing. Somehow, amid all the changes this club has undergone this year, the Brazilian stands to benefit. Under three separate head coaches, the 26-year-old now finds himself practiced in re-setting his mind and restarting his season. If there’s one player on this team not carrying the heavy baggage of the stressful campaign on his shoulders, it’s Souza. Here we have a subject looking to be on the upswing. 

Moritz Jenz, Central defender

The revival of Moritz “Mercedes” Jenz counts as the most positive development at Wolfsburg. The 26-year-old has gone from a want-away malcontent to this team’s defensive captain. After the Berlin-native serves his obligatory suspension against Leverkusen in the first round back from the international break, Hecking will desperately need Jenz to pick up where he left off and anchor his back-three. As observed below, Jenz is one of the players who has responded well to Hecking’s variable tactical instructions. 

Kamil Grabara, Keeper

There isn’t much to say here other than to note that – despite all of team’s troubles – Wolfsburg deenityely have a world-class keeper. The fact that the VWers have conceded a whopping 57 Bundesliga goals this year obscures the fact that Grabara’s talent has prevented it from being significantly worse. Relegation or not, Grabara will continue to supply stellar saves down the stretch. The stats don’t do Grabara justice, at least for those of us observing his work. One remains curious as to where he’ll play next year. 

Tactics Check, Wolfsburg

In this particular feature, we’ll actually analyze the team’s last three matches. Daniel Bauer’s final game in charge merits a closer look. Tragically enough – as Bauer pointed out in his final post-match press conference – there exist the embers of something effective in Bauer’s last set of tactics. Most notably, the now former VfL trainer and his staff finally found the right role for totally misused summer signing Vinicius Souza. The former Sheffield United man played perhaps his best match in a Wolfsburg jersey in the Hamburg loss.

Lineup—WOB, Round 25 (3-3-2-2)

With enough forward looking actors working alongside on his axis, Souza did well as a defensive minded link up player. The manner in which he dropped back to help on the bow-arcs still sticks in the memory. Whenever plugging into a diamond back-four, Souza won nearly all of his chances. He also connected cleanly with most of his forward passes and went on two excellent long dribbles forward.

Thanks in large part to Souza (and the coverage drawing work of Yannick Gerhardt and Christian Eriksen), Jesper Lindstrøm and Dzenan Pejcinovic were able to get some early looks in. Open play remained solid throughout the first half. Only a great deal of luck and the crossbar prevented hosting Wolfsburg from regaining the lead after the break. Things just didn’t break the way of the Lower Saxon Autostädter.

In a game in which all three goals came from the penalty spot, Hamburg edged out their fellow northerners and picked up a 1-2 away win. Bauer’s men had every cause to feel hard done by. They were the better team off the dead balls and even came close to scoring on three set-piece situations. Substitutes Mohamed Amoura, Lovro Majer, and Adam Daghim gave it their all in search of a late equalizer.

In Hecking’s first match in charge, Gerhardt, Jan Bürger, and Jonas Adjetey all moved out of the XI. Joakim Maehle returned from a long injury layoff to work as a left wingback in Hecking’s rejiggered 3-4-3. Amoura and Saël Kumbedi started in a logical enough constellation. Hecking also tapped Eriksen – already an important enough part of the team’s leadership circle – to don the captain’s armband for the very first time.

Lineup—WOB, Round 26 (3-4-3)

Jenz’s forward pivot made for a more complex defensive strategy than the previous week. Despite the fact that Hecking’s instructions were more demanding, the team remained relatively compact in their 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim. Christian Ilzer’s Kraichgauer had trouble punching through. While Wolfsburg weren’t able to generate anything other than an Eriksen volley offensively, the rearward lines held and Hecking’s team took a 0-0 scoreline past the hour-mark.

Konstantinos Koulierakis’ opening goal then gave the VWers plenty of hope that a massive upset victory might be possible. VfL substitute Jonas Wind even came close to securing all three points for the visiting Bundesliga side. Unfortunately, the late risks undertaken by Hecking’s side led to plenty of Hoffenheim chances as well. Grischa Prömel notched the late 1-1 equalizer. The German Wolves would earn only one point on Hecking’s debut.

Souza certainly wasn’t as effective working directly beside Eriksen. Hecking tried to compensate for that in this weekend’s match against Bremen by flipping Jenz back on an inverted pivot and making a compromise with Bauer’s last-match tactics. Souza and Eriksen worked a clear split stagger on Saturday. If anything, this mostly led to predictably disjointed play in what was a choppy and scrappy match.

Lineup—WOB, Round 27 (3-4-3)

Eriksen did well enough feeding his Danish colleagues Wind and Lindstrøm in the opening 45. A couple of worthy breakthroughs on the attacking end were saved easily enough by SVW keeper Mio Backhaus. The back two axes began to buckle a bit and an unfortunate Jenz own-goal ended up proving the difference in the 0-1 home defeat. Jenz’s sending off on double yellows late in second half injury time added insult to injury.

This team is in serious trouble in just about every sense. Hecking’s tactics aren’t crystallizing. Personnel problems plague the squad from front to back. The remaining schedule, to which we will now turn, is absolutely brutal. One struggles to discern where the needed 11-15 points will come from. Something of a miracle is required.

Remaining Schedule, Wolfsburg

Bauer actually secured his permanent appointment during this same run of fixtures during the Hin-runde, nicking a draw off Frankfurt and taking six points off Union Berlin and Borussia Mönchengladbach in back-to-back victories. After losses against Freiburg and Bayern, peak Dzenan Pejcinovic helped Bauer’s team earn a 2-1 win over St. Pauil. Another nine points could give Wolfsburg a fighting chance at the promotion-relegation playoff place.

Round 28

Bayer 04 Leverkusen (A)

Round 29

Eintracht Frankfurt (H)

Round 30

FC Union Berlin (A)

Round 31

Borussia Mönchengladbach (H)

Round 32

SC Freiburg (A)

Round 33

Bayern München (H)

Round 34

St. Pauli (A)

The author sets the odds of the German Wolves contesting their third Bundesliga-2. Bundesliga playoff round at around 35-65. Nine points from the remaining seven rounds seems too tall an order, but – if 1. FC Köln continue along their failing trajectory – six or seven might prove sufficient. At least a draw against Leverkusen once the league reconvenes remains essential if there’s to be any hope left. 

Hecking may wish to motivate his team with the same “Bierchen” plea he used ahead of Bochum’s duel with the very same club. Knowing full well that such a sermon won’t work, it would be better if he spent the break repeatedly drilling that 3-4-3; taking special care to eliminate the glaring axis gaps and ineffective split staggers if possible. 

GGFN | Peter Weis