Wolfsburg will take on Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, 22 December as part of the final round of Bundesliga fixtures before the winter break.
The match feels like a particularly big one for Borussia Dortmund manager, Nuri Sahin, with his side lingering in 8th position. A defeat here could see Die Borussen slip into the bottom of the table, a scenario that could see Sahin lose his job over the break.
Wolfsburg, meanwhile, are just two places below Borussia Dortmund in the league table with Ralph Hasenhuttl doing a good job in Northern Germany.
How the bookies view it: The visitors go in as favourites
Borussia Dortmund haven't won any of their last three Bundesliga matches but they still go into this one as the favourites with the bookmakers. BoyleSports have priced a Borussia Dortmund win at 11/10 while a victory for Wolfsburg has been priced at 7/4. The draw, which would be Dortmund's fourth in a row, has been priced at 5/2.
Recent head-to-head: Advantage Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund are unbeaten in their last three league meetings with Wolfsburg (two wins and one draw) so will come into this one safe in the knowledge that they have what it takes to put them away. Interestingly, though, Wolfsburg knocked Dortmund out of the German Cup a couple of months ago courtesy of an extra time winner from Jonas Wind.
Players to watch: Can Wind blow Dortmund away again?
As mentioned earlier, Jonas Wind was the match-winner the last time these two teams came head-to-head with the Danish striker netting in the dying minutes to dump Borussia Dortmund out of the German Cup.
It was a result that raised question marks about Nuri Sahin's suitability as Dortmund manager and he could seal the 36-year-old's fate if he can down them again on Sunday evening.
Wind has caught fire in recent weeks and is one of the most in-form players in German football. The 25-year-old has scored four goals in his last three appearances across all competitions and will be the man that Dortmund need to pay closest attention to on Sunday.
The man tasked with keeping Wind out will be Gregor Kobel. The Swiss shot-stopper hasn't managed to keep a clean sheet in any of his last four outings so he will do well to keep the Dane and his teammates at bay.
Predicted line-ups
The winter break is coming at the right time for Wolfsburg as their injury list is stacking up. Notable absentees for this one include Rogerio and Aster Vranckx. Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, have injuries at the back which is certainly a cause for concern. Niklas Sule and Julian Ryerson are both unavailable for this one.
Wolfsburg: Grabara – Fischer, Vavro, Koulierakis, Maehle – Arnold, Dardai, Svanberg – Baku, Amoura, Tomas
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel – Couto, Can, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini – Nmecha, Gross – Beier, Reyna, Gittens – Guirassy
Anything else catch the eye?
Both of these teams share a common trait in that they are comfortable going forward but leaky at the back. Both teams have scored in each of Borussia Dortmund's last four matches while the same can be said for five of Woflsburg's last six. Both teams to score on Sunday has been priced at 4/9 by BoyleSports.
This German Bundesliga match between Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund will be played on Dec 22, 2024 and kick off at 16:30. Check below for our tipsters best Wolfsburg vs Borussia Dortmund prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
