Preview: Wolfsburg vs. Freiburg - prediction, team news, lineups

Wolfsburg head into Saturday's Bundesliga clash against Freiburg looking to end their seven-match winless streak in all competitions.

Meanwhile, the visitors are the only remaining unbeaten side left in the division as they head to the Volkswagen Arena this weekend.

Match preview

© Reuters

The four-match league winning run to start the Bundesliga campaign is a thing of the past now for Wolfsburg's new manager Mark van Bommel.

The Wolves are winless since the fourth of those victories, against Greuther Furth over a month ago, which has seen them drop from the top of the table to sixth as things stand.

Despite the bright start, these concerning times had been coming for van Bommel and his side, as those wins certainly flattered Wolfsburg in the early stages of the new season.

Narrow victories failed to tell the story of a side that lacked creativity and a threat in the final third of the pitch, with the Dutch boss ensuring his side kept things tight at the back, which came at the expense of possession and goals.

An international break came and went with fortunes not being corrected on the training field during this time, as back-to-back defeats to Union Berlin and Red Bull Salzburg since returning have made it four defeats from their last five in all competitions.

After falling behind to an early goal in Austria in the Champions League in midweek, Lukas Nmecha had equalised shortly after for the visitors, but two second half goals from Salzburg were no more than what Wolfsburg deserved in another concerning display.

© Reuters

As for Freiburg, they began life at their new stadium with a draw against RB Leipzig last weekend, which extended their unbeaten start to the campaign to eight matches.

Approaching a decade in charge of Freiburg, manager Christian Streich has been through it all with his beloved club, but this exceptional start to the new season can allow him and the supporters to dream of another venture into European football once more should the run continue.

Four wins and four draws so far have this weekend's visitors sitting in a Champions League spot in the table, despite only scoring 12 league goals so far.

Like his opposite number on Saturday, Streich is keen to enforce defensive solidarity in his side, and to use that as a platform to build upon during each opponent they face.

With just six goals conceded in eight matches as a result, there will be few that will be doubting his methods of organisation at the moment, and instead there will be every opponent knowing they will have a fight on their hands when they face his side.

A 3-0 defeat at the Volkswagen Arena back in January ended a run of five matches without a defeat against the Wolves, so Freiburg will have the extra motivation of revenge when they visit again on Saturday.

Team News

© Reuters

Top scorer Wout Weghorst is unlikely to be available for the hosts again at the weekend, after missing the defeat in midweek due to COVID-19.

Nmecha is likely to continue in the central striker position as a result, whilst Luca Waldschmidt could return in the three-man forward line behind him.

Bartosz Bialek, William, Xaver Schlager are long-term absentees, who are also likely to be joined on the sidelines by Admir Mehmedi and Yannick Gerhardt.

As for the visitors, Roland Sallai and Jonathan Schmid are doubts due to a knee injury and match fitness issues respectively.

However, Lukas Kubler appears to have recovered after a recent illness and should regain his place in the right wing-back position from Kiliann Sildillia.

That could be the only change by Streich, who has settled on a consistent lineup for many fixtures this season due to the successes they have achieved with it to date.

Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Casteels; Mbabu, Lacroix, Bornauw, Roussillon; Guilavogui, Arnold; Baku, Waldschmidt, Steffen; L Nmecha

Freiburg possible starting lineup:
Flekken; Gulde, Lienhart, N Schlotterbeck; Kubler, Eggestein, Hofler, Gunter; Jeong, Holer, Grifo

We say: Wolfsburg 1-1 Freiburg

With the lack of goals over the pitch on Saturday, and the solid form of the visitors, it is difficult to predict an open and entertaining affair when these sides meet.

Freiburg will frustrate their hosts, and it is difficult to see them losing it so a tight draw is our prediction for this one.