Fighting for a spot in the Bundesliga's top four, Champions League hopefuls Freiburg will travel to take on struggling Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena on Saturday.
Die Wolfe will be looking for their first win in seven this weekend, while the Breisgau-Brasilianer will be hoping to make it three victories on the bounce.
Match preview
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It was Ralph Hasenhuttl's Wolfsburg that were dreaming of European competition next season when a 4-3 triumph over Mainz 05 earned them a fifth consecutive win back in December, but after enduring a torrid 2025, they are now all but resigned to a mid-table finish.
Last time out, Die Wolfe put an end to a four-match losing streak with a 2-2 draw on the road to Die Nullfunfer, though they will be disappointed to have needed an 89th-minute equaliser from Denis Vavro considering that Max Arnold had given them the lead with just three minutes on the clock.
That stalemate left Hasenhuttl's side in 12th place on 39 points, and while they are a comfortable 17 above the relegation playoff spot, they are also eight points from fifth with only four games left to play.
As Saturday's hosts aim to build on that draw and finish the campaign strongly, they will have to overcome their form at the Volkswagen Arena, where they lost 1-0 to relegation threatened Heidenheim at the end of last month and are without a win since mid-January.
Should Wolfsburg earn maximum points for the first time overall since March 1, then they could overtake Stuttgart to end the matchday in 11th, and they may even find themselves five points behind the European places in a best-case scenario.
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Meanwhile, Julian Schuster's Freiburg are in strong form ahead of this weekend's clash, and having lost just two of their last 11 - winning six and drawing three - they will be confident of adding to their tally.
Most recently, the Breisgau-Brasilianer took all three points in an entertaining 3-2 win against Hoffenheim, but the boss will be keen to stamp out the lapses of concentration that caused his team to go into the break on level terms after surrendering their two-goal lead in first-half stoppage time.
Victory last Saturday lifted Schuster's men up to fifth thanks to their opponents' draw with now-sixth-placed Mainz, and given that they are just one behind fourth-placed RB Leipzig, Freiburg will be eyeing a spot in the Champions League in 2025-26.
Adding to the visitors' momentum this weekend is the fact that they are unbeaten across their last five away games, keeping three clean sheets while drawing two and winning three, including a 2-1 win against Borussia Monchengladbach on April 12.
The Breisgau-Brasilianer could move up to fourth with a win on Saturday, but defeat would give Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen the chance to drop them all the way down to eighth due to their lacklustre goal difference.
Team News
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Wolfsburg will be missing centre-back Sebastiaan Bornauw as he works his way back from a foot injury, while midfielders Mathias Svanberg and Aster Vranckx will be out with knee problems and a personal issue respectively.
In their absence, Hasenhuttl should select a back three of Kilian Fischer, Denis Vavro and Konstantinos Koulierakis on Saturday, with Bence Dardai, Max Arnold and Patrick Wimmer just ahead in the centre of the park.
Elsewhere, backup goalkeeper Marius Muller is a doubt due to a concussion, while centre-back David Odogu also faces a late fitness test due to thigh troubles.
As for Freiburg, attacking midfielder Daniel-Kofi Kyereh is out once again with the knee injury that has hampered him since February, so expect to see Johan Manzambi line up behind striker Lucas Holer.
Fellow long-term absentee Bruno Ogbus will also miss this weekend's game as he works his way back from an Achilles injury, though goalkeeper Noah Atubolu and right-winger Eren Dinkci could make the squad despite question marks about their fitness.
Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Grabara; Fischer, Vavro, Koulierakis; Paredes, Dardai, Arnold, Gerhardt, Maehle; Wind, Amoura
Freiburg possible starting lineup:
Muller; Kubler, Ginter, Lienhart, Gunter; Eggestein, Osterhage; Doan, Manzambi, Grifo; Holer
We say: Wolfsburg 1-2 Freiburg
All of the momentum seems to be with Freiburg ahead of this weekend, and given the strength of their away record, they are likely to take all three points once again.
That being said, Wolfsburg will be keen to finish the season on a positive note, and after ending their losing streak last time out, they could make this game a close-fought contest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
