Match Predictions: Borussia Dortmund host Wolfsburg in another ‘Final’ | OneFootball

Saturday afternoon, Borussia Dortmund will face Wolfsburg in the Westfalenstadion in another must-win match as the Black and Yellows continue their pursuit of European qualification. Currently in sixth place, Borussia Dortmund desperately need every possible point, while hoping the teams around them drop some. With a bit of luck, Borussia Dortmund could even squeeze into 4th place and qualify for the Champions League, an event which the Opta supercomputer rates at 25.68% likelihood.

Niko Kovač should have the majority of his squad available, with the notable exceptions of Nico Schlotterbeck and Maxi Beier. Beier is still recovering from an ankle injury that forced him off the pitch against Borussia Mönchengladbach two weeks ago. The midfield is expected to get a boost this weekend, however, as Marcel Sabitzer has returned to team training and should be available for selection.

This will be another tough match despite Wolfsburg sitting nine points behind BVB in the league table. There’s no room for error, but I’m optimistic as Borussia Dortmund won their third in a row last weekend. Here are some predictions for the home match against Wolfsburg:

Players to Watch

FC Bayern München v Borussia Dortmund - Bundesliga | Maja Hitij/GettyImages

Patrick Wimmer & Jonas Wind: Thankfully, Wolfsburg’s left-footed captain, Maximilian Arnold, will miss this match due to a red card suspension. Dortmund will have to deal with a couple of other thorns in their side, however. Striker Jonas Wind has featured in nearly every league match for Wolfsburg this season, scoring eight times in the process. In addition to those league goals, Wind also scored the heartbreaking extra-time winner, which knocked Dortmund out of the Pokal this season.

Witrick Wimmer, on the other hand, is a versatile player who Ralph Hasenhüttl has utilized all over the pitch from the attacking midfield and center-forward position, even dropping into left back on certain occasions. He’s been one of Wolfsburg’s most consistent players this season and will be one to watch on Saturday

Daniel Svensson and Julian Brandt: At this point, Daniel Svensson is all but a Borussia Dortmund player, and should he feature in two of BVB’s final three games, his buy-option will trigger, and he will formally become a BVB player. Since joining on loan in January, the Swedish talent has impressed, and his form has only improved in recent weeks with his first goal for the club coming two weeks ago and a pair of assists earned last weekend.

Julian Brandt, on the other hand, has been under much criticism this season, and many media reports claim he’s nearing an exit this summer. If that’s the case, then we should respect and enjoy these potentially final days with Brandt at the club. He’s also started to find a late bout of form this season with an impressive goal last weekend. Perhaps our senior-most player will leave on a high, and that’s all I can hope for.

Match Predictions:

VfL Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund - Bundesliga | Luciano Lima/GettyImages

Wolfsburg has not won a match since March 1, and that makes me nervous. The struggling clubs always seem to show up against Dortmund. But Hassenhüttl will be cornered with several players missing through injury or suspension. I expect Wolfsburg to sit back and absorb pressure, while committing men forward on the counterattack. Wolfsburg are locked in the midtable, safe from relegation, but with practically no hope of European qualification.

Despite losing to Wolfsburg in the cup, Dortmund did still manage to beat them away from home to close out the Hindrunde, likely saving Nuri Sahin’s job in the process at the time. This time, we’re home and on a three-match win streak. Can we make four? We need to, and I believe we will, but this is Dortmund, and we’ll make it more complicated than it needs to be. I think BVB will prevail 3-2.