Wolfsburg vs Hoffenheim

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Both teams are eager to bounce back to winning form as Wolfsburg prepares to host Hoffenheim in the upcoming Bundesliga match on Sunday.

Wolfsburg has been stuck in a series of 1-1 draws since the resumption of play after the winter break. On the other hand, Hoffenheim's performance in the league has been subpar, securing just one victory in their last 10 games.

In their recent outing against FC Koln, Wolfsburg, having previously earned decent points against Mainz 05 and Heidenheim, found themselves trailing to Faride Alidou's goal just before half-time. Kevin Paredes quickly equalized two minutes later, but despite 14 shots during the game, the Wolves couldn't secure a victory.

Interestingly, Wolfsburg had only experienced one draw in 16 games before the winter break, but now they find themselves drawing by the same scoreline for three consecutive games. Although relegation is not a realistic concern, their European qualification aspirations have been hampered, having won only two of their last 13 matches. This setback is particularly frustrating, considering they had control over Europa League qualification last season, only to lose on the final day and miss out on a top-seven finish.

A win in the upcoming match on Sunday could propel Wolfsburg into the top half of the table, providing them with ample time to reverse their fortunes in the remaining matches of the season.

Similarly, Hoffenheim has experienced a notable decline in performance over the past three months, garnering just seven points in their last 10 matches under the management of Pellegrino Matarazzo. It's essential to remember, though, that Matarazzo previously rescued Hoffenheim from relegation when he took charge in February of the previous year. Maintaining the impressive form of winning four out of their initial five games in the current season was always going to be challenging.

Following consecutive away defeats against Bayern Munich and Freiburg in their first matches after the winter break, Die Kraichgauer did manage to halt their decline in the recent game against Heidenheim. Despite Eren Dinkci providing a lead for the newly promoted side before the half-hour mark, Andrej Kramaric leveled the score with a penalty in the seventh minute of first-half injury time.

In a highly competitive match, Matarazzo may be disappointed that his team couldn't convert seven shots on target into more than one goal, partly due to Heidenheim goalkeeper Kevin Muller's outstanding performance. If Hoffenheim can replicate that level of performance in Lower Saxony on Sunday, there is a good possibility of securing an away victory.

Wolfsburg is set to face the absence of Lukas Nmecha and Kevin Wimmer, both dealing with knee and ankle injuries respectively. Tiago Tomas is likely to miss the match due to an ongoing elbow problem. Maximilian Arnold and Yannick Gerhardt, who were sidelined in the previous draw against Koln due to illness, may not be risked for the upcoming game.

Given these circumstances, Kovac might opt for an unchanged starting XI. Vaclav Cerny and Jonas Wind, who failed to score last weekend, are eager to regain their goal-scoring form.

On the Hoffenheim side, Mergim Berisha and Marco John won't be available due to knee injuries, while Dennis Geiger is out with a groin issue. Diadie Samassekou continues to be away on international duty with Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations. Florian Grillitsch is set to serve a one-match suspension after receiving his fifth caution of the season against Heidenheim. This could prompt Matarazzo to switch to a back three formation and include former Liverpool defender Ozan Kabak in the lineup.