Wolfsburg find themselves in troubled waters ahead of this weekend’s Bundesliga clash with RB Leipzig, as a four-game winless run — including three successive 1-0 defeats — threatens to derail their hopes of European qualification. Having dropped from seventh to twelfth in the table, the pressure is mounting on Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side to turn their fortunes around quickly.
The recent slump is made more alarming by the quality of opposition faced: three of the teams to beat Wolfsburg were ranked below them at the time. Now they face a sterner test in fifth-placed RB Leipzig, who will be keen to tighten their grip on a European spot after a morale-boosting 3-1 comeback win over Hoffenheim last weekend.
Despite a five-match winless streak at home (D4, L1), Wolfsburg can take some comfort in their competitiveness against top-four sides at the Volkswagen Arena, having collected points in two of three such matches this season. Still, with only three home wins to their name — the joint-fewest in the division — fan optimism is likely to be in short supply.
Leipzig, meanwhile, are in a transitional phase following the sacking of Marco Rose. Interim boss Zsolt Löw steadied the ship with that crucial win last time out, although the visitors remain winless in their last seven Bundesliga away matches (D4, L3). Alarmingly, they haven’t scored on the road since mid-January, when they infamously let a 3-0 lead slip at Bochum.
All eyes will be on Wolfsburg’s standout performer Mohamed Amoura, who has notched 10 goals and 9 assists this season, including two goals in the reverse fixture — a resounding 5-1 win for Wolfsburg. On the other side, Ridle Baku — now in Leipzig colours after a January transfer from Wolfsburg — returns to familiar ground, fresh off scoring the winner in his new side’s latest victory.
A potential silver lining for the hosts is their head-to-head record at home against Leipzig, having lost only one of the last six competitive encounters (W3, D2, L1), most of which were tightly contested.
With both clubs seeking stability and momentum in the final stretch of the season, Sunday’s showdown promises high stakes and compelling narratives on both sides.
