VFL WOLFSBURGThe Paul Simonis era at VfL Wolfsburg (1-2-3, 15th) started off quite strong, with a victory in Heidenheim and two very close draws against Mainz and Köln, where Die Wölfe held a one-go...
VFL WOLFSBURG
The Paul Simonis era at VfL Wolfsburg (1-2-3, 15th) started off quite strong, with a victory in Heidenheim and two very close draws against Mainz and Köln, where Die Wölfe held a one-goal lead until the final minutes of the 90.
However, after three consecutive defeats to Borussia Dortmund (0-1), RB Leipzig (0-1), and FC Augsburg (1-3), plus a poor friendly result against 2. Bundesliga side Hertha BSC (0-2) with some of the main squad players out for the international window, things are not looking as good for the Niedersachsen club as they head closer to the relegation zone.
Unlike last season, there is not as much of a difference between home and away records early on. Wolfsburg are 0-2-1 at home, with four goals scored and five conceded; they have the same goals for and goals against away, but are 1-0-2 due to that result in Heidenheim on matchday one.
Despite having the sixth-best xG at 9.5, which is well ahead of Stuttgart's 7.9, despite passing being relatively similar in all three categories (short, medium, long), and with Stuttgart and Wolfsburg relatively even in terms of goal-assist contributions (8+7 to 8+6), there are not too many categories where Wolfsburg are above Stuttgart - the most notable is tackles in their own defensive third, where Simonis' side are the best in the league at 60 successful tackles. However, Wolfsburg are lacking in one specific regard that could ultimately decide this match: goalkeeping.
Wolfsburg are nearly 10% behind Stuttgart in terms of save percentage, with the latter third-best in the Bundesliga at 77.3% and the former at 67.9% in tenth place. Additionally, in terms of successful goal kicks, Wolfsburg are at 27.0%, ahead of only FC St. Pauli and Eintracht Frankfurt in this regard; this could allow Stuttgart to win midfield battles, especially given that they are second-best in the league in terms of their own goal kicks at 45.6%.
However, these are simply statistics, the season is just six weeks in, and Wolfsburg also won their head-to-head record against Stuttgart in the 2024/25 season under Austrian coach Ralph Hasenhüttl. With a flat 4-4-2 in both matches, the home fixture ended in a 2-2 draw, and the away fixture was a late 2-1 comeback victory.
Wolfsburg might come out flying in this match, especially given the current situation of the club in the table and the desperate need for a victory - whether they will be able to maintain their momentum and win crucial midfield battles are the major questions surrounding their performance.
Team News
Wolfsburg have four notable injuries. Left-back Rogério (muscle) will be absent for at least one more week, but is expected to return at some point soon; the same goes for winger Jesper Lindstrøm (groin) and winger / attacking midfielder Patrick Wimmer (hip), who are also expected to return to the main squad by Matchweek 9.
Centre-back Denis Vavro (groin) will be absent until early December, and right midfielder Kevin Paredes (ankle) will not return until the second half of the season, as his expected date of return is January 2026.
Projected XI (4-3-3): Grabara - Zehnter, Koulierakis, Jenz, Fischer - Eriksen, Souza, Svanberg - Amoura, Wind, Skov Olsen.
VFB STUTTGART
On the other side of the field is Sebastian Hoeneß' reigning DFB-Pokal champions VfB Stuttgart (4-0-2, 4th), who are currently in a UEFA Champions League spot for the 2026/27 season, while also trying to manage a UEFA Europa League campaign that continues this upcoming Thursday.
After surprisingly losing their opening match (1-2) of the new season to 1. FC Union Berlin, and nearly crashing out of the DFB-Pokal to 2. Bundesliga side Eintracht Braunschweig, Stuttgart have won four of their last five Bundesliga matches, outscoring their opposition 7-4. Three of those conceded goals were against SC Freiburg, meaning that narrowing the statistics to their four victories, Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel has conceded just one goal on sixteen shots on target.
As mentioned in the Wolfsburg section of this preview, VfB Stuttgart are much better statistically so far in the 2025/26 season, but there are a few categories where they are among the best in the league. Progressive distance, the club is second-best in advancing the ball to the opposing goalmouth, with 16 235 metres covered; only FC Bayern München is better by just 835 metres.
Die Schwaben are also second behind Bayern in terms of possession, with a 59.2% average - 2.6% behind Bayern but a full 10.4% ahead of Wolfsburg. They are also among the best in the league when it comes to successful one-on-one take-on battles, with eleven chances created from these situations - this puts them tied for first, with Hamburger SV and Bayer 04 Leverkusen being the teams that have the same total.
This also marks a special occasion for Portuguese forward Tiago Tomás, as it will be the first time that he faces Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena since returning to Stuttgart. Stuttgart signed the 23-year-old in mid-August, after previously signing him on loan from Primeira Liga side Sporting CP between 2020 and 2023.
In 58 Bundesliga appearances for VfL Wolfsburg between 2023 and 2025, Tomás scored seven times and added two assists - one of those goals was in the club's 2-1 victory at the Mercedes-Benz Arena back in February.
Team News
Right-back Pascal Stenzel (muscle) will likely return to the squad at the end of the month; additionally, goalkeeper Stefan Drljaca (muscle) and winger / midfielder Jamie Leweling (groin) are both projected to return the week after. The only long-term injury is a major one, as star striker Ermedin Demirović (broken ankle), the club's top scorer in the 2024/25 season, will be absent until early February.
Projected XI (4-3-3): Nübel - Hendriks, Chabot, Jaquez, Assignon - Stiller, Chema - Mittelstädt, El Khannouss, Führich - Tomás.
Category: General Sports
