Bayer Leverkusen v Wolfsburg match preview

By: j | October 31st, 2008

As Wolfsburg gets set to play Bruno Labbadia’s Bayer Leverkusen tonight they will need to adopt a defensive strong-hold if they are to succeed. Whilst Wölfe supporters rose with this Tuesdays 3-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach the match prior to Bayern München saw them cast aside fundamentals as they were embarrassed with four unanswered goals after taking a 2-0 lead. Although a loss to Bayern in Allianz Arena isn’t a sin, to ignore classic strategies when you have such a strong lead lays an enormous specter of doubt regarding Wolfsburg’s hopes for a Champions League bid.

Bruno Labbadia has Werkself playing intelligent Football and are in the midst of a three match winning streak whilst holding the opposition off the score-sheet in the last two-hundred seventy minutes. Their lone stumble in October was at the hands of Hertha BSC when Andriy Voronin scored for the Berliners as time was running out. They boast a young die Mannschaft capped striking duo of Patrick Helmes and Stefan Kießling that will create havoc and will require the utmost attention for the Wolfsburg back-line. To add to Wolfsburg’s concerns, Swiss international Tranquillo Barnetta has returned from injury, thus jettisoning Werkself attacking at even a faster clip. Felix Magath has indicated that this match will be a full blown end-to-end attacking affair, which indicates Cristian Zaccardo is likely to start on the bench which is unfortunate as Wolfsburg would be best served to have him in the back-line with Andrea Barzagli and dictate Bayer Leverkusen’s attack due to defensive maneuvering. This in-essence would create the “chess play” that would increase the countering ability of Grafite and the brilliant Bosnia and Herzegovina connection of Zvjezdan Misimović and Edin Džeko.