Matchday in focus: VfL Wolfsburg | OneFootball

Although the Wolves, currently beset by injuries, have conceded a historically high number of penalties this season, they do have a spot-kick specialist of their own in Christian Eriksen.

Tactics

Dieter Hecking, who returned as Wolfsburg coach in mid-March after 10 years, has opted for a 3-4-2-1 formation in his first three matches, with the focus on defensive solidity. Hecking is trying to establish consistency, in particular in their own third of the field, with the back three remaining virtually unchanged recently – Konstantinos Koulierakis on the left, Moritz Jenz in the middle and Jeanuël Belocian on the right. Koulierakis is suspended for this one, however.

Absentees

The hosts are without Jonas Wind, Marius Müller, Jenson Seelt, Koulierakis, Cleiton, Rogério, Kilian Fischer, Bence Dárdai and Kevin Paredes, while Mattias Svanberg is also a doubt. VfL are still waiting “for a final diagnosis” on the Swede, “but there’s certainly a risk he won’t be in the squad”, confirmed the coach at his press conference.

Jean-Mattéo Bahoya, Nnamdi Collins, Ritsu Doan, Rasmus Kristensen and Kaua Santos are sidelined for Frankfurt.

One to watch: Christian Eriksen

At 34 years of age, Christian Eriksen keeps things ticking over in the Wolfsburg midfield and pops up all over the pitch. The Danish playmaker has featured in 25 Bundesliga games this season, 21 of them from the start, scoring three goals, all of them from the spot. The veteran is the Wolves’ first-choice penalty taker and has converted every one of them so far.

He proved his class over a long period in England, spending several years at Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. He collected his last major trophy – the FA Cup – with the Red Devils in 2024.

Eriksen...

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Connections

Jesper Lindstrøm played for Eintracht from 2021 to 2023 and was part of the UEFA Europa League-winning team in 2022.

Arthur Theate and Lovro Majer were teammates at Stade Rennais in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons. Theate also played alongside Svanberg for Bologna in the 2021/22 campaign.

Eintracht’s Oscar Højlund and Wolfsburg pair Kamil Grabara and Denis Vavro played together for FC Copenhagen from 2022 to 2024.

Runs and statistics

Eintracht have not kept a clean sheet against VfL since December 2012 – their longest run without a shutout against a current Bundesliga club.

Wolfsburg, together with 1. FC Heidenheim, have the leakiest defence in the German top flight with 63 goals conceded.

The Wolves have given away 13 penalties this season, the third-highest figure in Bundesliga history.