Preview: Hoffenheim vs. Wolfsburg - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts, meanwhile, have fallen into the bottom half of the table after a winless run of four games.

Match preview

Indeed, Hoffenheim were beaten for the third time in four league games as they fell to a 4-2 defeat away to Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.

Andre Breitenreiter's side were 3-0 down within the opening half an hour through strikes from Djibril Sow, Randal Kolo and Eric Ebimbe, but Christoph Baumgartner and Ozan Kabak pulled two goals back either side of half-time to build hope of a miraculous comeback.

However, Jesper Lindstrom all but sealed his side's victory by restoring Frankfurt's two-goal cushion four minutes before the hour mark, with Die Kraichgauer dropping into 10th position in the table having only won one of their last eight league games.

As such, Breitenreiter is under significant pressure to improve that record against Wolfsburg on Saturday, with a win guaranteed to take them above their opponents in the table and potentially end this period prior to the World Cup as high as seventh.

Wolfsburg, meanwhile, have enjoyed an almost polar opposite season to their forthcoming opponents, with Niko Kovac overcoming a difficult start to life as their head coach before overseeing an unbeaten run of eight matches in all competitions since returning from September's international break.

As such, the former Croatia international must be maddened by the timing of the imminent World Cup, having witnessed his side win for the third league game in a row against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

Micky van de Ven got the Wolves off to the perfect start by breaking the deadlock after just six minutes, with BVB unable to find an equaliser despite mustering 21 shots in an incredibly open game before Lukas Nmecha - who has missed out on being named in Germany's World Cup squad - wrapped up his side's victory in injury time.

A positive result against Hoffenheim on Saturday could see Wolfsburg head into the World Cup break in seventh position, which seemed unthinkable when they were only marginally above the drop zone in the middle of September.

Hoffenheim Bundesliga form:

L

W

L

D

L

L

Hoffenheim form (all competitions):

W

W

L

D

L

L

Wolfsburg Bundesliga form:

D

D

D

W

W

W

Wolfsburg form (all competitions):

D

W

D

W

W

W

Team News

Hoffenheim will be without Grischa Promel, Ermin Bicakcic, Munas Dabbur, Luca Philipp, Benjamin Hubner and Ihlas Bebou on Saturday due to injury.

Andrej Kramaric returned to Breitenreiter's starting XI in Frankfurt in midweek and is likely to start once again, with Robert Skov potentially replacing Pavel Kaderabek at right wing-back.

Wolfsburg, meanwhile, will travel without Lukas Nmecha after a knee injury which he sustained against Dortmund on Tuesday has ruled the forward out of competing for Germany at the World Cup later this month.

Kevin Paredes, Bartol Franjic and Max Kruse will not make the trip to Hoffenheim either, with Kovac potentially opting to retain the same starting XI which defeated BVB given that Nmecha had only been a late substitute in any case.

Hoffenheim possible starting lineup:

Baumann; Akpoguma, Vogt, Kabak; Skov, Rudy, Geiger, Angelino; Kramaric, Baumgartner; Rutter

Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:

Casteels; Baku, Bornauw, Van De Ven, Otavio; Kaminski, F Nmecha, Arnold, Gerhardt, Marmoush; Wind

We say: Hoffenheim 1-1 Wolfsburg

With both teams likely to be fatigued after playing in midweek, we can envisage a share of the spoils in Hoffenheim at the weekend.

Wolfsburg may settle a point to maintain their unbeaten record and remain above their opponents in the table, with the hosts looking to avoid a fourth defeat in five matches.

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