Wolfsburg start life after Niko Kovac with a trip to face Werder Bremen at the Weserstadion in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Ralph Hasenhuttl has arrived as manager during the international break with the Wolves hovering ominously above the bottom three.
Match preview
© Reuters
After going winless in their first 10 games of 2024 - and also losing their final game before the winter break - Wolfsburg decided to part ways with Kovac after their most recent defeat against Augsburg.
Three straight defeats after numerous draws was the final nail in the coffin for Kovac, as those in the bottom three who initially seemed a long way adrift are now starting to catch up.
Mainz's win before the break saw the gap close to just six points between Wolfsburg and the dotted line, as they were humbled at home by Augsburg in a 3-1 loss.
Away form does not give much encouragement either, as eight defeats from 13 on the road are part of the reason why their points tally is just as low as it was when they narrowly avoided relegation six years ago.
With 25 points from 26 games, Wolfsburg have matched the tally they had when they finished in the relegation playoff place in the 2017-18 season, but they survived in that two-legged tie.
Unless Hasenhuttl can turn their fortunes around quickly though, a first relegation since 1997 could be on the cards for 2008-09 Bundesliga champions.
While nothing separates the two sides in their all-time head-to-head record - 20 wins and 91 goals scored each - home manager Ole Werner has a fine record against Wolfsburg with Bremen.
© Reuters
Still unbeaten in three games against Wolves since taking charge of Werder should bring some confidence, but their results have not been overly convincing of late.
Seven points in their last seven games all came against sides currently in the bottom three, as their last three fixtures have all ended in 2-1 defeats.
One peculiar statistic which showcases how weak the Bundesliga has been this season is that Werder are on the same points tally they had after 26 games as they had in 2020-21 - a season where they were relegated.
However, this time around, they have a real opportunity of still qualifying for Europe despite having just 30 points with eight games remaining, with an 11-point buffer on the bottom three.
Team News
© Reuters
Bremen's ill-discipline in their defeat to Union Berlin shortly before the international break means they will be without three players due to suspension here.
Senne Lynen, Mitchell Weiser and Jens Stage all picked up bookings in that encounter, triggering bans for this clash.
Niklas Stark and Justin Nijnmah also remain out for the hosts, and they have been joined on the sidelines by Dawid Kownacki, as a hamstring injury will keep him on the treatment table for several weeks.
Patrick Wimmer's red card in Wolfsburg's defeat to Augsburg played a pivotal role in the outcome, and it also means the winger will be suspended here, while Lovro Majer is also a doubt after picking up a knock to his calf this week.
Mortiz Jenz will return from a ban of his own though, after he was sent off at Bayer Leverkusen in their last away outing.
Koen Casteels is a doubt after he missed Belgium's draw with England at Wembley with a shoulder issue, but Jonas Wind has recovered after leaving the Denmark camp early with a muscular problem.
Werder Bremen possible starting lineup:
Zetterer; Malatini, Veljkovic, Jung; Agu, Alvero, Schmid, Bittencourt, Deman; Woltemade, Ducksch
Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Pervan, Maehle, Lacroix, Jenz, Rogerio; Baku, Svanberg, Arnold, Paredes; Wind, Behrens
We say: Werder Bremen 2-2 Wolfsburg
Having scored in all of their previous 13 matches and now facing a side with no clean sheet in 11 games, it is no surprise Bremen will come into this one as favourites.
However, under new management, Wolfsburg will hope to turn a corner, and a fresh start under Hasenhuttl may end their recent rut, even if it does not start with an instant win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
