Wolfsburg vs. Bayer Leverkusen: probable teams, match stats and LIVE blog!

On Saturday at 3.30pm CEST, Wolfsburg will face Xabi Alonso’s high-flying Bayer Leverkusen.

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Wolfsburg has had an inconsistent season so far, despite the noteworthy efforts of Jonas Wind. The Denmark striker has scored seven goals in seven games, including three braces. Interestingly, Wolfsburg has won all four matches where Wind has scored, but has lost three matches where he hasn’t. These defeats were against teams ranked above them in the standings: Hoffenheim, Borussia Dortmund, and VfB Stuttgart. Wolfsburg’s goalkeeper Koen Casteels is currently injured, so head coach Niko Kovač might have to put his trust in Pavao Pervan.

Leverkusen poses a significant challenge for any team, regardless of who they line up against at the Volkswagen-Arena. The Bundesliga leaders have won six out of seven games this season, with their only draw being against defending champions Bayern Munich. They also have the second-best defense, having only conceded eight goals, and the joint-best attack, with 23 goals scored. Their summer signings Victor Boniface and Jonas Hofmann have been in great form, scoring a combined total of 11 goals and providing six assists. Additionally, Florian Wirtz has also contributed to four goals. The team’s performance has been so impressive that even with the return of defender Piero Hincapié, he has been unable to regain his place in the starting XI. With Patrik Schick now fit again, Leverkusen has even more attacking options.

Watch: Highlights of Leverkusen’s derby win over Cologne

Match stats

• Wind has been scoring a goal every 87 minutes this season, achieving his best-ever record for a single campaign.
• Kovač has lost five out of nine matches against Leverkusen as a coach, only suffering more defeats against Dortmund and Bayern.
• Wolfsburg has not won a home game against Leverkusen since October 31, 2015.
• Boniface has had the most goal attempts after seven matches, with 45. Serhou Guirassy and Harry Kane are next on the list with 29 and 26 attempts respectively.
• Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo are the most dangerous defenders in this Bundesliga season, each contributing two goals and three assists.
• Leverkusen has made its best-ever start to a Bundesliga season, earning 19 points and scoring 23 goals.

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Probable teams

Wolfsburg: Pervan – Baku, Lacroix, Zesiger, Maehle – Svanberg, Arnold (c) – Majer, Gerhardt, Tomás – Wind
Out: Fischer (knee), Nmecha (knee)
Doubtful: Casteels (abdominals), Jenz (ankle), Rogério (calf)
Coach: Niko Kovač

Leverkusen: Hrádecký (c) – Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba – Frimpong, Palacios, Xhaka, Grimaldo – Hofmann, Wirtz – Boniface
Out: Arthur (thigh)
Doubtful: Fosu-Mensah (knee)
Coach: Xabi Alonso