Wolfsburg vs Union Berlin

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Union Berlin commences a significant week with an outing to the Volkswagen Arena to square off against Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga this Saturday.

Before their upcoming clash with Real Madrid next Wednesday, Union faces another formidable opponent with aspirations of securing a top-four position this season.

After a somewhat lackluster performance last season, Wolfsburg is determined to regain entry into European competitions after experiencing two consecutive disappointments in that regard.

Their well-heeled owners have made substantial investments, bolstering their squad with a multitude of promising players in various positions. This investment has borne fruit with a strong start to the season.

Securing victories in their first two matches has established a high standard, marking a significant improvement compared to last season when they required eight matches to accumulate six points.

The early-season form of Jonas Wind has been crucial, as the Danish striker notched consecutive braces in their initial two victories.

Moreover, the 24-year-old played a pivotal role in the opening goal against Hoffenheim before the international break by providing an assist. Regrettably, Niko Kovac's squad ultimately succumbed to a 3-1 defeat.

Returning to their home turf after two consecutive away fixtures might seem advantageous on paper, but Wolfsburg must enhance their performance on their own ground.

Their triumph over Heidenheim on the opening day of the season signaled a positive step forward. Nevertheless, Wolfsburg managed to secure only two victories in nine home matches during the latter part of the previous season.

The upcoming trio of fixtures will serve as a substantial test for Kovac's revamped team. Union Berlin is their next adversary, followed by equally challenging encounters against other European contenders, Borussia Dortmund and Fre

The biggest difficulty for Urs Fischer and Union Berlin will be keeping focus and professionalism so that the trip to Madrid does not become a distraction here.

Union, like Wolfsburg, started with two wins but lost before the international break.

A rampaging Union hammered Mainz and Darmstadt 4-1, but RB Leipzig gave Die Eisernen a taste of their own medicine by winning 3-0 at der Alten Forsterei last time around.

Wind has four goals for Wolfsburg this season, and he is joined on that total by Kevin Behrens, who scored a hat-trick against Mainz and the third goal against Darmstadt.

Despite finishing fourth, Union kept Behrens and the rest of their strongest XI, while also adding plenty of strength ahead of their first Champions League campaign.

The big-name signing has been Leonardo Bonucci, but the addition of Diogo Leite on a permanent basis from Porto, as well as Robin Gosens, Alex Kral, David Datro Fofana, and Kevin Volland, despite his red card against Leipzig, makes them a stronger force.

Wind's Achilles injury while on international duty in Denmark means Wolfsburg's top scorer is questionable for this match.

Kevin Wimmer will also have a late fitness test after being unwell and having muscle problems during the international break.

Kilian Fischer joins Lukas Nmecha on the sidelines after sustaining an injury against Makkabi Berlin in the cup last month.

With Union Berlin's upcoming match against Real Madrid, manager Fischer may be tempted to rotate his team for this trip to the Volkswagen Arena.

The most apparent places for rotation are at wing-back, where Union have plenty of depth, so Christopher Trimmel and Jerome Roussillon could replace first-choice combination Josip Juranovic and Gosens.

Brendan Aaronson will return from suspension following his dismissal against Darmstadt and should replace Volland, who will now serve a three-match ban following his dismissal against Leipzig.