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Bundesliga | Gameweek 14
Jan 3, 2021 at 2.30pm UK
Signal Iduna Park
W

Dortmund
2 - 0
Wolfsburg

Akanji (66'), Sancho (90+1')
Hummels (25'), Delaney (40'), Braut Haaland (80')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Steffen (38')

Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs. Wolfsburg - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Borussia Dortmund vs. Wolfsburg - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Sunday's Bundesliga clash between Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

Borussia Dortmund take on Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday, with the hosts looking to leapfrog their forthcoming opponents in the table with a victory.

Indeed, the visitors currently occupy the fourth Champions League qualification spot after losing just one of their opening 13 games.


Match preview

It has certainly been a mixed start to the season for Dortmund, who removed Lucien Favre from his position as manager last month after a string of poor results.

Edin Terzic has been installed as interim coach until the end of the season, with the German confirming that star striker Erling Braut Haaland is "on schedule" in terms of recovering from his hamstring injury. BVB won only one of the four league games that the Golden Boy winner missed at the back end of 2020.

Haaland's injury did at least provide 16-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko with an opportunity in attack, though, with the teenager becoming the youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history in the 2-1 defeat to Union Berlin prior to the winter break. The striker certainly looks a serious talent, possessing a left foot as fierce as Haaland's but perhaps even greater skill in tight areas to help break down a defensive low block.

Terzic may well call on Moukoko once more from the start against Wolfsburg depending on Haaland's conditioning. While it is too early in the season to brand any fixture "must-win", it does feel like BVB cannot afford to lose this one, otherwise they face an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League for a sixth successive season.

Wolfsburg have not competed in Europe's elite competition since the 2015-16 campaign, when they were narrowly defeated by eventual champions Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, but Oliver Glasner looks to have constructed a side capable of returning to the Champions League.

Only reigning European champions Bayern Munich have defeated his side domestically this season, with a premature exit in a Europa League playoff at the hands of AEK Athens perhaps helping Wolfsburg in terms of rest and recuperation for the Bundesliga.

That certainly looked to be the case during the 1-0 win over Stuttgart prior to the winter break, with Josip Brekalo's wickedly deflected free kick proving enough to overcome the high-flying promoted visitors. Both sides missed presentable chances, with Wout Weghorst and Nicolas Gonzalez particularly guilty of profligacy for either side, but the Wolves always looked to have their opponents at arm's length despite missing several key players.

Glasner will be hoping for more of the same on Sunday, but avoiding defeat and keeping ahead of their forthcoming opponents in the table may well be the primary aim from the match.

Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga form: WLDLWL
Borussia Dortmund form (all competitions): DWLWLW

Wolfsburg Bundesliga form: WWDWLW
Wolfsburg form (all competitions): WDWLWW


Team News

As confirmed by Terzic, Haaland is back in training, but may have to settle for a place on the bench as the Norway forward searches for match fitness.

Thorgan Hazard and Marcel Schmelzer are definitely out for the hosts, with Mats Hummels a doubt.

Wolfsburg have several doubtful players due to the coronavirus, with Maximilian Arnold, Maximilian Philipp, Maxence Lacroix, Jerome Roussillon and Xaver Schlager all having to quarantine over the Christmas period.

Admir Mehmedi is definitely ruled out with an Achilles tendon issue, but John Brooks is available once again.

Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:
Burki; Meunier, Akanji, Hummels, Guerreiro; Can, Witsel; Sancho, Reus, Reyna; Moukoko

Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Casteels; Mbabu, Lacroix, Brooks, Roussillon; Schlager, Guilavogui; Baku, Steffen, Brekalo; Weghorst


We say: Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Wolfsburg

With Wolfsburg's team selection up in the air, largely due to a coronavirus outbreak in the squad, we can envisage Dortmund starting the New Year with a win as they look to draw a line under the Favre era.

Haaland returning to the side would increase their chances of winning, of course, but we think they may look to ease their top goalscorer back into things, with Moukoko possessing the ability to punish a potentially-depleted Wolves' back line.


Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 3.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 3.5:data



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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Bayern MunichBayern19153158164248
2Bayer LeverkusenB. Leverkusen19126146262042
3Eintracht FrankfurtFrankfurt19114444261837
4Stuttgart199553628832
5RB Leipzig199553429532
6Mainz 05Mainz1994633231031
7Wolfsburg198474234828
8Borussia MonchengladbachBorussia M'bach198383029127
9Werder Bremen197663336-327
10Freiburg198382636-1027
11Borussia DortmundDortmund197573433126
12Augsburg197482334-1125
13St Pauli1962111721-420
14Union BerlinUnion Berlin195591627-1120
15Hoffenheim194692537-1218
16Heidenheim1942132440-1614
17Holstein Kiel1933132848-2012
18VfL BochumVfL Bochum1924131743-2610
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