10 December 2021, 17:04 | 28 August 2021, 15:29
After being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, VfL Wolfsburg returns to Bundesliga action to face VfB Stuttgart following a 3-1 loss to Lille OSC. This Bundesliga fixture kicks off at 18:30 (GMT+1) on Matchday 15, Saturday, December 11, at the Volkswagen Arena.
Preview VfL Wolfsburg Bundesliga, Dec 11, 2021
Preview Back on home soil, with continental football halted, Wolfsburg picked up a 3-0 defeat to FSV Mainz 05 at the Opel Arena last weekend. Lackluster defending left Mainz’s Jonathan Burkardt (2') in an ocean of space right in front of goal before sweeping the ball past Pavao Pervan. Two minutes later, the Wolves found themselves with a two-goal deficit after a 20-yard-stunner from Anton Stach (4') rattled the back of the net, leaving Kohfeldt fuming on the sidelines. Wolfsburg remained switched off after the break, almost conceding in the opening minutes of the second forty-five but escaped by a whisker. Eventually, an own goal from Lacroix (90' O.G.), in the final minute of the game, summarized a woeful day at the office for Kohfeldt. Wolfsburg’s technical ineptitude left them without a single shot on target throughout the length of the game. The loss also left Wolfsburg with back-to-back defeats, WWDLL, and coupled with UCL Matchday 6's defeat to Lille, Wolfsburg has three in a row across all competitions. - Without having to mention that there are question marks over Florian Kohfeldt, who is only 8 games into the job; 3W, 1D, and 4L. The 39-year-old has a 38%-win rate and will be on the hunt to increase those numbers on Saturday. The embarrassing 3-0 defeat saw Wolfsburg drop one step below, from 7th to 8th place, on the Bundesliga table, while having 20 points after 6W, 2D, & 6L. Onlookers could see another 4—2—3—1 formation, with Wout Weghorst at the top of the shape.
Preview VfB Stuttgart Bundesliga, Dec 11, 2021
Preview Stuttgart, on the other hand, are coming off a 2-2 draw against Hertha Berlin. Omar Marmoush (15') raced away, unchallenged, from the halfway line with a blue shirt at his heels before bagging the opener for a Stuttgart lead. Minutes later, a 20-yard-strike from Förster (19') gave Stuttgart a comfortable two-goal lead before things took a dramatic turn. Jovetic (40') had executed a step over, leaving one white shirt behind before dropping the left shoulder for a right-curler aimed at the right corner. Minutes after the break, Jovetic (76') returned for the brace to leave both sides with a point. Stuttgart remained in 15th place on the Bundesliga table after the draw, having 14 points from 3W, 5D, and 6L. The Swabians have the form: LLLWD ahead of this fixture, and Pellegrino Matarazzo could be laying out another dynamic 3—5—2 formation for this game against Wolfsburg.