GET HYPED Y’ALL!!!

The Bundesliga is back. This means that we can finish sifting through nonsensical English transfer rumors, or watching obscure English competitions like whatever the hell the “Carabao Cup” is, and start viewing some proper football. Tomorrow, the lights at the Westfalenstadion will ignite again, as Wolfsburg will travel to Dortmund to take on BVB.

Wolfsburg Hinründe Recap

Wolfsburg have, yet again, had a disappointing first half of the season. They currently sit 14th in the Bundesliga, only three points and a game in-hand above Werder Bremen, who occupy the final relegation spot. They’ve already lost a manager: Andries Jonker was sacked in September. With a win, however, they can climb to 12th.

There is no reason, however, for Wolfsburg to be taken lightly. Despite their position, they haven’t been that bad: they have an even goal differential, better than 6th place Borussia Mönchengladbach. This is because while they’ve only won three games, they’ve also only lost four. Their 10 draws leads the Bundesliga, and shows that they tend to keep matches close. Manager and former Tuchel-protégé Martin Schmidt has them playing excellent defensive football.

They’ve also very much played to the level of their competition throughout the season. While they’ve lost to weaker clubs like Köln and Stuttgart, they’ve managed draws against stronger clubs like Bayern and Leipzig. While Dortmund won the reverse fixture 3-0 on opening day, Wolfsburg could easily snatch a point or three from BVB.

The best Wolfsburg player has undoubtedly been midfielder Daniel Didavi, who leads the Wolves in both goals (5) and assists (6). One of their biggest struggles has been getting contribution from their forwards: Mario Gomez, who almost singlehandedly carried Wolfsburg’s offense last season, has only one goal in 11 starts. Divock Origi, who is expected to start tomorrow, only has four.

Expected Lineups

A couple notes on this lineup:

• I’d prefer Dahoud over Götze. He played very well in the DFB Cup against Bayern, and makes BVB much more fluid in midfield.
• Piszczek is making his return after mixing a chunk of time due to injury.
• The constantly-and-annoyingly Liverpool-linked Christian Pulisic is starting. The English media shakes its fist in frustration!

Score Prediction: 2-1

Dortmund come out firing, but Wolfsburg defend well. The first half ends 1-0. BVB get a second, before Wolfsburg claw one back to keep things interesting.