Will success return with Kruse?
There is no room for romance in today’s football. VfL Wolfsburg needed a replacement for Wout Weghorst and have remembered the qualities of a Max Kruse. Fans of Union Berlin will certainly not be amused, but the Wolves had to act and perhaps Max Kruse is now exactly the player to lead the Lower Saxons out of the Bundesliga relegation zone. The first evidence of this may already be seen on Sunday against Greuther Fürth.
The direction VfL Wolfsburg have taken in recent months is perhaps even inadequately described as steeply downwards. After the first leg against the Franconians, the Wolves were still at the top of the table. In the meantime, they have to worry about only being allowed to play in the second division next season.
The VfL has slipped down to 15th place and is only two points ahead of the relegation places. The change of coach from Mark van Bommel to Florian Kohfeldt has not borne fruit.
Fürth are still at the bottom of the standings, but have not given up yet. They are nine points off the relegation zone, but there are always miracles in the Bundesliga. Goals should not be expected in abundance on Sunday, as the two opponents share the dubious title of the worst offence in the top flight. Therefore, we tend to place a tip on less than 2.5 goals in the match Wolfsburg vs. Fürth.
Wolfsburg – Statistics & current form
Sporting director Marcel Schäfer made it clear once again during the week that there will be no discussions about the coach at VfL Wolfsburg at the moment. However, the statistics of the last few months show that this state of affairs will by no means be long-lasting if the lack of success continues. The Wolves are breaking one negative record after another at the moment.
Mega crisis of the Wolves
The Lower Saxons have now gone eleven games without a win. A longer series only occurred in the winter of 2009/10, when they had to wait 13 games for a three-game win under Armin Veh and his successor Lorenz-Günther Köstner. VfL have been without a goal for four Bundesliga games. If they hadn’t signed Max Kruse, they could well have thought about playing the odds on another match without a Wolves goal between Wolfsburg and Fürth.
Before the international break, VfL Wolfsburg were guests at RB Leipzig and defended a goalless draw with luck and skill until a quarter of an hour before the end. Only then did the Bullen take the lead and in the end deserved to win 2:0. The Lower Saxons are now putting a tick behind everything that was. A spirit of optimism has been clearly noticeable in recent days.
But we have to take this into the game against Fürth. Max Kruse will certainly make his comeback debut in Wolfsburg. The Dane Jonas Wind could also make his first appearance for the VfL. Renato Steffen is an alternative for the offensive. Still out are the injured Lukas Nmecha, Paulo Otavio, Xaver Schlager and William.
Predicted Wolfsburg line-up:
Casteels – Lacroix, Bornauw, Brooks – Baku, Vranckx, Arnold, Roussillon – Lukebakio, Waldschmidt – Kruse – Coach: Kohfeldt
Last matches played by Wolfsburg:
1st Bundesliga
01/23 2022 – RB Leipzig 2 – 0 Vfl Wolfsburg
01/15 2022 – Vfl Wolfsburg 0 – 0 Hertha Berlin
01/09 2022 – Vfl Bochum 1 – 0 Vfl Wolfsburg
Club friendlies
01/04 2022 – Vfl Wolfsburg 5 – 4 Paderborn
1st Bundesliga
12/17 2021 – Bayern Munich 4 – 0 Vfl Wolfsburg
Fürth – Statistics & current form
Last season, FSV Mainz showed how a seemingly certain relegation can still be freed from the grip of the spectre of relegation. In Fürth, too, people continue to believe in a miracle. But if they fail to stay in the relegation zone, then they will go back to the second division with Stefan Leitl and continue as before.
Fürth undefeated for four games
In recent weeks, however, there has been a sense that something is still going on with the Franconians. The Spielvereinigung has been unbeaten for four Bundesliga games. There has never been a longer series in the Bundesliga. However, in ten away games in the top flight, they have only scored one point. Therefore, the prediction in the duel between Wolfsburg and Fürth should be a defeat for the Franconians.
Before the short break, Fürth finally managed another win. At the Ronhof, Stefan Leitl’s team kept the upper hand against Mainz 05. This was partly due to a courageous performance, but also to the carelessness with which the Rheinhessen missed their chances. Thus, Jeremy Dudziak’s goal and an own goal by Mainz were enough for a lucky 2-1 home victory.
On Sunday, new keeper Andreas Linde could make his debut for Fürth. However, Sascha Burchert has stabilised recently. It could well be that Stefan Leitl will once again put his trust in the winning eleven from the Mainz game. The only players not in the squad are the long-term injured Marius Funk, Robin Kehr and Jessic Ngankam.
Predicted line-up of Fürth:
Burchert – Meyerhöfer, Griesbeck, Viergever, Willems – Christiansen – Seguin, Tillmann, Dudziak – Leweling, Hrgota – Coach: Leitl
Last matches played by Fürth:
1st Bundesliga
01/22 2022 – Greuther Fürth 2 – 1 Mainz 05
01/16 2022 – Arminia Bielefeld 2 – 2 Greuther Fürth
01/08 2022 – Greuther Fürth 0 – 0 VfB Stuttgart
12/18 2021 – Greuther Fürth 0 – 0 Augsburg
12/15 2021 – Borussia Dortmund 3 – 0 Greuther Fürth
Wolfsburg – Fürth Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
VfL Wolfsburg and Greuther Fürth have not crossed paths very often so far. In total, there are four direct duels, three in the Bundesliga and one in the DFB Pokal. The Franconians have not yet celebrated a victory against the Lower Saxons. In addition to three Wolfsburg victories, there is also one draw in the history books.
The first leg in the current season, when the Wolves were still really in the flow, was won by the VfL at the Ronhof with 2:0. Lukas Nmecha and Wout Weghorst were the goal scorers and after the Lower Saxons had taken over the top of the table without a loss, everything looked like a successful season. In the meantime, we know that things turned out completely differently.
Wolfsburg – Fürth Tip
Actually, you shouldn’t place any bets on the Lower Saxons given the performances that VfL Wolfsburg have delivered in recent weeks. However, after the short break and a few transfers, things should now be looking up again for VfL. Hopes are linked above all with the name Max Kruse. We can already imagine that he will score directly on Sunday.
The Franconians are definitely in better form, having remained unbeaten for four games for the first time in their Bundesliga history. However, the away trips have not been very successful so far. There has been just one point from ten games.
We don’t expect many goals on Sunday. With 17 goals of their own, VfL and Spielvereinigung each have the weakest attacks in the league. Maybe that’s why just one goal is enough to win in the Volkswagen Arena and we wouldn’t be surprised if Max Kruse scored it. However, we have decided to play the betting odds on a home win between Wolfsburg and Fürth.
