Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen
Bundesliga
Saturday
21st October 2023
Volkswagen Arena
The most comprehensive preview, detailed analysis and reliable predictions of the Bundesliga gameweek 8 fixture between Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen.
Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen: Preview
Wolfsburg form analysis
Die Wölfe have shown signs of promise but lacked consistency in their recent Bundesliga matches. They started this period with a 1-3 home loss to Hoffenheim, going behind early before briefly equalizing through Brooks. However, Wolfsburg responded positively by beating Union Berlin 2-1 the following week thanks to goals from Wind and Mæhle in an improved all-round display.
Next up was a narrow 0-1 loss away at high-flying Borussia Dortmund – a respectable result against tough opposition. Wolfsburg returned to winning ways with a determined 2-0 victory at home over Eintracht Frankfurt, with forward Wind grabbing both goals to continue his good form. But in their last match, defensive issues resurfaced as they lost 1-3 away at Stuttgart, unable to contain striker Guirassy.
Overall, new coach Niko Kovac seems to be implementing his ideas steadily but Wolfsburg are still gelling. There have been promising signs, especially going forward with talents like Wind and Adam Hlozek. But defensively they remain prone to lapses. If Kovac can instill greater organization and solidity at the back, Wolfsburg have the attacking tools to push towards the top half of the table. However, they need to find the right balance as Wolfsburg’s form has fluctuated during this spell.
Bayer Leverkusen form analysis
Bayer Leverkusen started this period strongly, beating Darmstadt 5-1 at home. New signing Vincent Boniface scored twice in an emphatic performance. However they were then held to a 2-2 draw away at Bayern Munich, despite going ahead late through a Palacios penalty.
Leverkusen returned to winning ways with a 4-1 victory over Heidenheim in the cup. Boniface was again on the scoresheet before Heidenheim pulled one back, but Leverkusen dominated overall. They built on this by beating Mainz 0-3 away from home, with goals from an own goal, Grimaldo and Hofmann.
Most recently, Leverkusen secured an impressive 3-0 home win over local rivals FC Cologne. Hofmann, Frimpong and Boniface were the scorers as Leverkusen put on a commanding display.
Overall, Leverkusen look to be finding form under coach Xabi Alonso. New signings like Boniface have added a goal threat, while the experience of Hofmann and Grimaldo provides creativity. If they can maintain this momentum, a title push could be on the cards this season.
