Wolfsburg vs TSG Hoffenheim

Volkswagen Arena is the venue as two out-of-sorts teams go head-to-head, with Wolfsburg taking on TSG Hoffenheim.

Wolfsburg head into the season finale under new leadership after the club sacked underperforming boss Ralph Hassenhutl in the wake of a 4-0 rout at Borussia Dortmund last week. It’s up to under-19 coach Daniel Bauer to get the faltering Wolfsburg team back on track and halt the club’s unenviable eight-game winless streak (D2, L6) that includes a 1-0 loss to Freiburg in their last home league outing. That result bookended a dreadful run of eight consecutive winless league matches at Volkswagen Arena (D4, L3), including three single-goal margin defeats on the trot ahead of the kick-off. Not since December 2016 have ‘Die Wolfe’ lost four successive home league games, and Hoffenheim’s visit puts them in an ideal position to avoid that fate now.

Indeed, in addition to a dismal 3-0 defeat on this ground in the DFB-Pokal earlier this season, Hoffenheim lost 1-0 in January’s reverse fixture at PreZero Arena. A more entertaining contest is on the cards, with Hoffenheim’s last three league matches featuring 5+ total goals, highlighting the potential for a high-scoring meeting. However, the visitors would appreciate a cagey affair, considering they’re not yet safe from relegation despite fighting back twice to hold Borussia Mönchengladbach to a 4-4 draw last week. Yet, they’ve been wayward on the road this term, with only two teams picking up fewer away points than Hoffenheim’s 14 (W3, D5, L8).