Bundesliga: Champs Out to Avoid Becoming Draw Specialists at Wolfsburg

VfL Wolfsburg vs Bayern Munich

Look at the Bundesliga table closely and you could be forgiven for thinking there could be a title race this season.

After all, instead of running away with it, defending champions Bayern Munch are only one point clear at the summit, while there are only three points separating them from fifth place.

Yet while a run of three successive draws has seen the Bavarians pegged back, I have a feeling an arrival from Manchester to Munich this week will help provide renewed momentum in their assault on the title, including more Bundesliga 2023 highlights on Sunday afternoon.

Talking Points

Joao Cancelo’s arrival will certainly have lifted already high spirits in the Bavarian camp with a player of such proven quality boosting their squad as they chase success on many fronts.

Just one point ahead of Union Berlin, themselves fresh from a derby victory over Hertha Berlin, they gained their first victory of the New Year in midweek as they brushed aside Mainz 4-0 in the DFB Cup.

They looked back to their devastating best in that encounter with deadline day signing Cancelo thrown straight into the starting XI and promptly setting up the opening goal for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

Jamal Musiala responded to an early-year blip with a goal too.

Cancelo has not been their only recruit in the January window with the club needing to act to replace injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

They have plugged the gap expertly by signing Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Yann Sommer on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Neuer, 36, has been ruled out for the rest of the season after fracturing his right leg on a skiing trip, leaving understudy Sven Ulreich as Bayern’s only proven top-level goalkeeper in the senior ranks.

Sommer, who has made 272 Bundesliga appearances since joining Gladbach from Basel in summer 2014 and represented Switzerland at the 2022 World Cup, is widely regarded as one of the German top flight’s most complete custodians.

Their arrivals come at a good time with Bayern still without Lucas Hernandez, Sadio Mane, and Noussair Mazraoui, as well as Neuer, who are all unlikely to return to action in the short-term.

They have also allowed Austrian midfielder Marcel Sabitzer to join Manchester United on loan.

Bayern will certainly be meeting a team in form and a former boss too in Niko Kovac whose Wolfsburg team were on a 10-match unbeaten run, including six straight wins before finally slipping up away at Werder Bremen last weekend.

They then lost by the same 2-1 scoreline at Union Berlin in the DFB Cup on Tuesday.

Kovac, who oversaw 65 matches in charge of Bayern, winning a Bundesliga-DFB Cup double in 2019, will have an almost fully fit squad at his disposal with striker Lukas Nmecha (knee) the only absentee and he will be keen to get one over on his former club.

They will have to overturn form and history though as Wolfsburg are winless in 15 matches against Bayern and have only won one of 27 since lifting the 2009 title.

History

Bayern have won nine of their past 10 meetings, the exception being last season’s 2-2 draw at the Volkswagen Arena when the title was already won.

On that occasion, Josip Stanisic and Robert Lewandowski scored before the home side pegged back the Bavarians through Jonas Wind and Max Kruse.

The earlier fixture last term resulted in a 4-0 victory for the champions as Thomas Muller, Dayot Upamecano, Leroy Sane, and Lewandowski found the net.

Earlier this season, first half goals from Musiala and Muller sealed a 2-0 home success.

Wolfsburg were the opponents when Lewandowski became a record breaker as he scored five goals in nine minutes in 2015.

Betting Tip

After their impressive outing on Wednesday night in the German Cup, Bayern will be hopeful they have put their run of draws behind them.

I certainly believe they have which is why I am plumping for an away victory.

I have looked at SBOTOP Bundesliga 2023 betting odds which include 1X2 Bayern @ 1.58 and Asian Handicap – 1.25 @ 2.20.

Wolfsburg, meanwhile, are on offer 1X2 @ 4.70 and Asian Handicap +0.75 @ 2.23.

The draw is available @ 4.50.

A repeat of their 2-2 draw from the corresponding match last season will pay out @ 13.00 with Correct Score.

The last time Bayern went four Bundesliga matches without a win in a single season, Borussia Dortmund were crowned champions (2010/11), and I cannot see that happening again.

 

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