Bayer Leverkusen will be aiming to extend their winning streak in the Bundesliga to six matches when they visit Wolfsburg on Sunday.
The hosts, meanwhile, had their five-match unbeaten run ended at the hands of Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend.
Match preview
© Reuters
Since amassing only five points from his first seven matches in charge, Niko Kovac has undoubtedly taken Wolfsburg forwards in his first season in charge of the club, with the Wolves looking well-placed to secure a top half finish in the Bundesliga.
That may not sound like a great achievement for a club which has regularly challenged for the Champions League qualification positions across the last decade or two, but having finished 12th last season, it represents progress nonetheless.
However, defeat away to 10th-placed Gladbach means that Daniel Farke's side are within four points of Wolfsburg either side of the dotted lines splitting the table in half, so Kovac and his players still have some work to do in that regard. An added incentive for them is that a European qualification spot is not completely out of reach just yet.
The 83-time Croatia international will be keen to test himself against Xabi Alonso and Leverkusen - where Kovac spent three years as a player - given their forthcoming opponents' lightning form in recent weeks, especially as a victory would move them within one point of Die Werkself in the table.
© Reuters
Indeed, five straight league victories have brought Leverkusen firmly back into the European qualification picture, with RB Leipzig only five points ahead of them in the fourth and final Champions League spot.
Considering that Leverkusen had only taken five points from their opening eight matches prior to Alonso's appointment in early October, both teams will be delighted to have moved as far up the table as they have in recent months.
Moreover, Die Werkself have a serious chance of winning the Europa League for only the second time in the club's history, although drawing 1-1 at home against Belgian side Union SG on Thursday evening was a sub-par result even if they will remain favourites to progress to the last four ahead of their trip to Saint-Gilloise next week.
As such, Alonso may have to weigh up how important Sunday's trip to Lower Saxony truly is for his players given that finishing inside the top four remains something of a longshot with only seven league games remaining, but he will not want to see his side's remarkable winning streak come to an end lightly.
Team News
© Reuters
Wolfsburg will remain without Bartol Franjic and star striker Lukas Nmecha due to long-term injuries, with the Germany forward unlikely to play again this season having struggled to get himself fit for the most part of the campaign.
After tasting defeat for the first time since February last time out, Kovac may consider making a few changes for this one, with Jonas Wind, Joshua Guilavogui and Sebastiaan Bornauw all potential options to come into the hosts' starting XI.
Likewise, Alonso may feel that some rotation is necessary given the short turnaround between both Europa League quarter-final legs against Union SG. Sardar Azmoun will almost certainly start in attack having only come off the bench at the BayArena on Thursday, while Kerem Demirbay and Adam Hlozek may also start from the outset.
Callum Hudson-Odoi, who is on loan from Chelsea for the season, has been firmly out of favour in recent weeks and looks at risk of completing his spell at the club without scoring a single league goal.
Patrik Schick remains sidelined by a groin injury, with Andrey Lunev and Exequiel Palacios also unlikely to be involved due to back and muscular issues respectively.
Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Casteels; Fischer, Lacroix, Van de Ven, Otavio; Svanberg, Arnold, Gerhardt; Wimmer, Wind, Kaminski
Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba; Frimpong, Andrich, Demirbay, Hincapie; Diaby, Azmoun, Hlozek
We say: Wolfsburg 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Both teams can be proud of how much they have improved as the season has worn on under their new managers, and we can envisage a hard-fought battle between two well-coached sides.
Neither side will want to lose with European qualification still up for grabs, and it would not be a surprise if the match plays out with a share of the spoils as the result.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Brett Curtis
