VfL have started the new campaign brilliantly. In the first round of the DFB Cup, the team from Lower Saxony beat Regional League side Union Fürstenwalde 4-1 despite going behind early on and on Thursday they went through to the second round of the Europa League qualifiers with a 4-0 victory at the Albanian club FK Kukesi . Nevertheless, coach Oliver Glasner sounded a warning ahead of the game against the Werkself on Sunday when he said his team "must take a step forward." It will be the toughest test in a new season where VfL are looking to set a club record: The club have never qualified for Europe three times in succession – not even in the glory days of winning the league title in 2009. If Wolfsburg are able to repeat last season then they will do it – but managing director Jörg Schmadtke is looking to finish higher. "Seventh place should be the lowest target for us," was his declared aim before the start of the season.
The Wolves squad did not change much over the summer. Notable departures for VfL were limited to the central defender position with Robin Knoche, Marcel Tisserand and Felix Uduokhai (already out on loan) leaving the club. In addition to the two players returning from loan, Jeffrey Bruma and Yunus Malli, there have only been two genuine new signings to date: The first, 18-year-old Pole Bartosz Bialek (from Zaglebie Lubin) is another option for the centre of the attack with 20-year-old central defender Maxence Lacroix (FC Sochaux) immediately securing a regular slot as he played both matches this season from the start.
Coach Glasner does have some concerns with personnel, particularly in defence: Captain Josuha Guilavogui, set to feature in central defence this season, cannot play due to a one-match ban carried over from last term. Marion Pongracic, who scored twice in the last meeting with the Werkself, is also sidelined due to glandular fever. It is likely that Lacroix and John Anthony Brooks will form the central defence on Sunday. The situation is more precarious at the right of the back four: The start of the season has come too early for the Brazilian William who suffered a torn cruciate in February – and Kevin Mbabu, the second right back in the squad, is now also sidelined. Glasner has been forced into finding another solution that will probably be Felix Klaus. The winger played at right back against both Fürstenwalde and Kukesi.
Glasner has additional worries in that midfielder Maximilian Arnold had to be substituted in the first half of the match in Albania on Thursday due to problems with his ankle. It remains to be seen whether the Wolves stalwart will feature against the Werkself.
When Arnold is fit, the central midfield is among the best in the Bundesliga. Together with the Austrian Xaver Schlager, Arnold forms a duo that is both strong and works hard against the ball while also having a high technical quality. Arnold and Schlager are the driving force for the Wolves and the linchpin of the team. The absence of Arnold, who was outstanding in the 4-1 win at the BayArena in May, would definitely hit the side from Lower Saxony – but they would be able to compensate in terms of quality. In Yannick Gerhardt, Wolfsburg have an impressive third man for the engine room of the team and he would probably start in the event that Arnold misses out. The former FC Köln player started in the cup game against Fürstenwalde – and promptly provided an assist.
In both of the first two matches, the Wolves made a number of casual errors both in attack and defence that gave clearly inferior opponents goalscoring opportunities. And in both matches, Wolfsburg gave away a penalty in a relatively unnecessary way and the defence was below par in one or two incidents in the game against Kukesi. "You could see that we lacked organisation at the back at times," admitted Glasner after the game. Concentration was also missing in attack. VfL could easily have won the cup game against Fürstenwalde by a bigger margin but a large number of clear-cut chances went begging.
Glasner more or less has the same squad that he led to European qualification last term in his first season as a Bundesliga coach. It is now down to the Austrian coach to develop his team in his second year. A lot of the players are at the best age for a footballer and the squad is well balanced. If Wolfsburg can compensate for the absences in defence at the start and quickly find their rhythm then the club record should definitely be within reach.
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