Separated by two places in the Bundesliga table, struggling duo Borussia Monchengladbach and Wolfsburg clash in gameweek 34 at Borussia-Park.
The Foals are winless in six top-flight matches, while their opponents enter the final round on a nine-match run without a win, a sequence that cost Ralph Hasenhuttl his job at the start of May.
Match preview
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When Gladbach won back-to-back games against Werder Bremen (4-2) and RB Leipzig (1-0) before following those victories with a point at St Pauli, fans of the club could have been forgiven for expecting a strong finish to the season.
However, securing just one point from five top-flight matches leaves Gerardo Seoane‘s team heading into the final round of games knowing they can finish no higher than eighth, an outcome that depends on the Foals securing maximum points and both Bremen and Stuttgart losing against Heidenheim and RB Leipzig, respectively.
Further highlighting the Prussians’ struggles is their lack of wins at Borussia-Park, where they have claimed only one victory in six matches, losing three during that period.
That run should read two wins had the Foals held on to a 2-0 and 3-2 advantage over Hoffenheim in their previous match in front of their supporters, only to lose both leads and require a late Tim Kleindienst equaliser to avoid defeat.
Having been beaten in the reverse fixture 5-1 in Lower Saxony, Die Fohlen aim to end their campaign on a high and extend the Wolves’ dismal results.
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Hasenhuttl paid the price for Wolfsburg going eight matches without a win, a run that has extended to nine under interim boss Daniel Bauer.
Despite their ongoing drought to secure maximum points, the Wolves faced a much longer unwanted streak between December 2023 and March 2024, when they failed in 11 consecutive tries.
The 12th-placed club’s results are not helped by their inability to keep clean sheets during this run, having last held an opponent at bay since drawing goalless with deposed Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in February.
Considering they have not kept a clean sheet in 13 top-flight matches, it will be intriguing to see if Bauer finds the right strategy to keep Gladbach quiet on Saturday.
Having ended a run of nine winless games (five losses) against Gladbach in the reverse fixture, Wolfsburg now hope to do the double against their hosts for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign.
Success for the White and Greens, along with an Augsburg defeat against Union Berlin, would allow the Lower Saxony outfit to finish a place higher than last season’s 12th, a position they currently occupy heading into the final day.
Team News
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Marvin Friedrich (hip) is doubtful for Gladbach, while Yvandro Borges Sanches (muscle), Nathan N’Goumou (Achilles) and Moritz Nicolas (groin) are expected not to play.
Only Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (10), Mainz 05’s Jonathan Burkardt (seven), Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick (six) and Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy (five) have outdone Kleindienst’s four game-winning efforts, and the forward aims to add to his 16 Bundesliga strikes on the final day.
Doubtful for the visitors are Kilian Fischer (knee) and Marius Muller (illness), while Kevin Paredes (thigh) and Mattias Svanberg (knee) are projected to miss the match.
Mohammed Amoura and Jonas Wind have scored 10 and nine goals for Wolfsburg this season, accounting for 34.5% of the away side’s total of 55, and both hope to be decisive for the visitors on the final day.
Borussia Monchengladbach possible starting lineup:
Omlin; Scally, Itakura, Elvedi, Ullrich; Reitz, Weigl; Honorat, Plea, Hack; Kleindienst
Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Grabara; Roerslev, Vavro, Kouliarakis, Maehle; Vranckx, Arnold; Skov Olsen, Wimmer, Amoura; Wind
We say: Borussia Monchengladbach 1-0 Wolfsburg
While Monchengladbach and Wolfsburg are in poor form heading into Saturday’s contest, with the Wolves failing to score in three of their previous four away matches and Gladbach’s tendency to find the back of the net at home, the Foals should secure a narrow victory.
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