Do the Wolves continue to tread water in the Ruhr area?

Also because recently again eight of 15 possible points from the last five league games were brought in, VfL Bochum is again above the line with three points ahead of the relegation place.

However, the Blue and Whites are not out of the woods yet. Six games are still to come, after all, in which 18 points are up for grabs. However, if Bochum wins against Wolfsburg at home, it would be a big step towards staying in the league.

The Wolves are certainly strong away from home and were the only Bundesliga team in 2022/23 to pick up more points away from home (21) than at home (19). In the second half of the season alone, however, just eleven points from eleven games are on record for the Lower Saxons, who are anything but in good form when they come to the Ruhrstadion, where, moreover, they have lost seven of their last eleven Bundesliga home games. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict the outcome of the match between Bochum and Wolfsburg.

It is noticeable that Bochum have their problems defensively, as evidenced by the fact that Thomas Letsch’s team has the weakest defense in the Bundesliga with 61 goals conceded. On the other hand, Wolfsburg is very defensively minded and was only able to create 19% of its chances in the second half of the season. By way of comparison, VfL Bochum had a 63% rate in the same period.

Because the team from the Ruhr area would also help a draw, we expect a defensive game with little penalty area action. Accordingly, the bet is consistent that under 2.5 goals fall.

Bochum – statistics & current form

VfL Bochum already managed to stay in the league a year ago despite a comparatively small budget as a promoted team. As 13th in the final table, it was not even close. Currently, however, the blue-and-whites are struggling with what is usually a much more difficult second year, following a bloodletting on the transfer market and the departure of many key players.

In principle, however, the kickers from the Ruhr area are now back on a fundamentally good course after some ups and downs. Six match days before the end of the season, they are three points clear of the relegation zone.

The weakest defense in the Bundesliga

Lately, Bochum once again managed to bounce back from a negative streak of losing five games in a row. Two victories were followed by just one point out of a possible nine. However, a total of eight out of a possible 15 points from the last five games are on the record.

The VfL also recently impressed away at the home strong 1. FC Union Berlin, which could be wrested a respectable 1-1. In total, only five goals have been conceded in the last five league games for the club, which still has the weakest defense in the Bundesliga with 61 goals conceded.

Won six of 13 Bundesliga home games

While the bottom line odds are against Thomas Leitsch’s side winning a point in Bochum vs Wolfsburg. At least the home record of the team from the Ruhr area can be seen overall. VfL has already won six of its 13 Bundesliga home games at home (one draw, six defeats).

Even against today’s guests from Lower Saxony, things have always been very satisfactory in their own stadium. Bochum has won seven of its last eleven Bundesliga home games against the Wolves (two draws, two defeats).

Last matches played by Bochum:

Bundesliga

• 16/04/2023 – Union Berlin 1 – 1 VfL Bochum
• 09/04/2023 – VfL Bochum 2 – 3 VfB Stuttgart
• 01/04/2023 – Eintracht Frankfurt 1 – 1 VfL Bochum
• 18/03/2023 – VfL Bochum 1 – 0 RB Leipzig
• 11/03/2023 – 1. FC Köln 0 – 2 VfL Bochum

Wolfsburg – statistics & current form

VfL Wolfsburg had after the again very disappointing twelfth place in the final table of the 2021/22 season actually again clearly more planned for the new season. Every now and then, the team from Lower Saxony even had a sniff at the international starting positions.

In the second half of the season, however, Niko Kovac’s men have increasingly slumped. They have just eleven points from the eleven Bundesliga games played in the second half of the season. The last time the German champions of 2009 were worse was five years ago (seven points in 2017/18).

The fourth best away team in the Bundesliga

Despite this, betting on an away win for the Green-Whites in Bochum against Wolfsburg is not under the worst of omens. After all, the VfL has done much better away than at home so far. The Lower Saxons are the only Bundesliga team that has scored more points in away games (21) than in home games (19).

Only Bayern (eight) and Dortmund (seven) have more Bundesliga away wins in the 2022/23 season than Wolfsburg (six), who also have the best away defense in the Bundesliga with only 14 goals conceded away from home. This also supports our bet that this clash will tend to be low-scoring.

Already eleven white vests in the 2022/23 season

In addition to the very stable defense, which could not be overcome at all in eleven of the 28 league games of the 2022/23 season, which means that the Wolves retained the most White Vests in the Bundesliga, the Kovac eleven’s offense, which is altogether too little penetrative, also speaks for a not too high-scoring match in the Ruhr area.

Of all 18 Bundesliga teams, only VfB Stuttgart has a worse chance conversion rate (17%) than VfL Wolfsburg (19%) when it comes to converting big chances. Most recently, the Green-Whites even went two league games in a row without scoring a goal of their own.

Last matches played by Wolfsburg:

Bundesliga

• 17/04/2023 – VfL Wolfsburg 0 – 0 Bayer Leverkusen
• 09/04/2023 – Gladbach 2 – 0 VfL Wolfsburg
• 01/04/2023 – VfL Wolfsburg 2 – 2 Augsburg
• 18/03/2023 – VfB Stuttgart 0 – 1 VfL Wolfsburg
• 13/03/2023 – VfL Wolfsburg 1 – 1 Union Berlin

Bochum – Wolfsburg Direct comparison / H2H balance

Head to head: 14 – 4 – 12

There have been a total of 30 meetings between the two teams so far and with 14 wins, VfL Bochum actually leads the direct comparison. Most recently, however, the Blue and Whites have won only one of the last seven Bundesliga duels with the Wolves (two draws, four defeats). In the first leg, meanwhile, the Lower Saxons won clearly with 4:0.

Bochum – Wolfsburg Tip

With Bochum against Wolfsburg, our prediction tends quite slightly to a point win for the blue and white. Categorically, however, the away victory of the Wolves can not be ruled out, of course. The team from Lower Saxony only scored eleven points from the eleven games in the second half of the season and had enormous problems with their chance exploitation in the second half of the season. The bottom line, however, is that Wolfsburg’s defense is too strong for a bet on Bochum winning a point to promise too much value.

Also considering that the Wolves have already kept a clean sheet in eleven of their 28 league matches, we find the greatest value in betting that a maximum of two goals will be scored in this match.