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

The visitors, meanwhile, could move one step closer towards securing their safety by picking up a positive result in Lower Saxony.

Match preview

After claiming a 1-0 win away to Stuttgart in their last match before March's international break, Wolfsburg closed the gap to Eintracht Frankfurt in sixth place to only two points.

However, that gap could be extended once again when Frankfurt host VfL Bochum on Friday evening, potentially ramping up the pressure on the Wolves in their efforts to claim a guaranteed European qualification spot.

After enduring a difficult start in his first couple of months having taken charge of the club last summer, Niko Kovac has clearly made a positive impact at Wolfsburg this season following their disappointing 12th-placed finish last season.

While collecting only two points from their last four home games may slightly concern the former Croatia international, there is mitigation provided by the fact that all four of those fixtures came against teams currently occupying top-six positions in the table.

As such, with only away trips to Borussia Dortmund and Freiburg remaining for the Wolves in terms of facing sides currently above them in the Bundesliga, Kovac will be motivating his players to continue their realistic pursuit of a Europa League qualification spot.

As ever since their first-ever promotion from Germany's second tier in 2011, Augsburg's aspirations remain of the more modest variety, with Enrico Maassen moving closer to securing his side's safety in his first season at the club.

Fuggerstadter have punched considerably above their weight to remain in the Bundesliga across the ensuing 11 seasons, and having moved seven points clear of the bottom three with a 1-1 draw against Schalke 04 prior to the recent international break, that run looks set to be extended to 12 under Maassen's stewardship.

Consecutive home fixtures against FC Koln and Stuttgart - two teams beneath them in the table currently enduring wretched form of late - could prove crucial in terms of wrapping up their survival, but Maassen will be keen to ensure that his players continue to pick up surprisingly positive results whenever possible.

That will certainly be the case away to Wolfsburg on Saturday, especially having already claimed a 1-1 draw against Kovac's side earlier in the season, while the two teams shared a victory apiece in two friendlies played during January.

Wolfsburg Bundesliga form:

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Augsburg Bundesliga form:

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Team News

Wolfsburg have suffered a major setback with Lukas Nmecha's ongoing injury problems flaring up once again, with the 24-year-old set to miss the majority of April due to a knee issue.

Kilian Fischer, Luca Waldschmidt and Bartol Franjic are all doubts to be involved on Saturday, too, with Kovac potentially hoping to name the same starting XI which dispatched Stuttgart last time out.

Augsburg, meanwhile, will travel without Ermedin Demirovic after the forward received a three-match suspension for his straight red card during the 1-1 draw against Schalke prior to the international break.

With Andre Hahn likely to miss the rest of the campaign due to a knee injury, Irvin Cardona and Dion Drena Beljo appear to be battling to replace Demirovic in attack.

Kelvin Yeboah, Maximilian Bauer, Felix Uduokhai and Tobias Strobl are all expected to remain sidelined through injury, limiting Maassen's options to shake things up should he wish to do so.

Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:

Casteels; Fischer, Lacroix, Van De Ven, Otavio; F Nmecha, Arnold; Wimmer, Gerhardt, Kaminski; Marmoush

Augsburg possible starting lineup:

Gikiewicz; Gumny, Bauer, Gouweleeuw, Iago; Maier, Engels, Rexhbecaj, Vargas; Berisha, Beljo

We say: Wolfsburg 2-0 Augsburg

With Augsburg missing several important players through suspension and injury, we expect Wolfsburg to continue their assault on claiming a top-six spot by ending their recent woes on their home patch.

The Wolves have proven to be a consistent outfit since adapting to Kovac's methods, whereas Augsburg can be unpredictable under Maassen.

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