With an abundance of self-confidence and full concentration, VfL Wolfsburg want to be in the top flight of the Europa League. The Niedersachsen team, who are currently chasing Bayern in second place in Bundesliga, could make it through to the next round in the Europa League with a home-victory against FK Krasnodar tonight (21:05 CET).
“We’re hungry for more and want to have more success,” said defender Robin Knoche. The star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne sensed that the team have developed an addiction to winning, “We’ll continue to work and stay relaxed.”
Allofs: “The moment of truth”
This mindset is undoubtedly the work of Klaus Allofs. The VfL manager is getting a real kick out of the team at the moment: the team that he and trainer Dieter Hecking have been moulding into a top club for the past two years. “On Thursday,” said Allofs, “it will be the moment of truth.” What the national player means is that whoever dreams of being in the Champion’s League has to do well in the Europa League first.
The match against the Russian third-place team will be anything but a walk in the park, even though Wolfsburg won the first leg 4-2 in Krasnodar. “We have to watch out and not walk around with a smile on our faces all the time.” Midfielder Ivan Perisic spoke of the “most important European match for us so far.” Wolfsburg are currently second in the table with four points.
Ricardo Rodriguez out
Defender Ricardo Rodriguez will be unavailable in the match against Krasnodar. The Switzerland national player is out due to a thigh injury and is currently being treated by Bayern team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt. Marcel Schäfer will be his substitute.
Hecking has the choice between Ivica Olic, Bas Dost and Niklas Bendtner upfront, but none of three have scored so far. The question was posed as to whether the team will get a new striker, “We’ll sit together and see what we need,” said VFL’s chairman Francisco Garcia Sanz to the Wolfsburger Allgemein Zeitung. “One thing’s for sure, we don’t make rash decisions here anymore.”
With an abundance of self-confidence and full concentration, VfL Wolfsburg want to be in the top flight of the Europa League. The Niedersachsen team, who are currently chasing Bayern in second place in Bundesliga, could make it through to the next round in the Europa League with a home-victory against FK Krasnodar tonight (21:05 CET).
“We’re hungry for more and want to have more success,” said defender Robin Knoche. The star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne sensed that the team have developed an addiction to winning, “We’ll continue to work and stay relaxed.”
Allofs: “The moment of truth”
This mindset is undoubtedly the work of Klaus Allofs. The VfL manager is getting a real kick out of the team at the moment: the team that he and trainer Dieter Hecking have been moulding into a top club for the past two years. “On Thursday,” said Allofs, “it will be the moment of truth.” What the national player means is that whoever dreams of being in the Champion’s League has to do well in the Europa League first.
The match against the Russian third-place team will be anything but a walk in the park, even though Wolfsburg won the first leg 4-2 in Krasnodar. “We have to watch out and not walk around with a smile on our faces all the time.” Midfielder Ivan Perisic spoke of the “most important European match for us so far.” Wolfsburg are currently second in the table with four points.
Ricardo Rodriguez out
Defender Ricardo Rodriguez will be unavailable in the match against Krasnodar. The Switzerland national player is out due to a thigh injury and is currently being treated by Bayern team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt. Marcel Schäfer will be his substitute.
Hecking has the choice between Ivica Olic, Bas Dost and Niklas Bendtner upfront, but none of three have scored so far. The question was posed as to whether the team will get a new striker, “We’ll sit together and see what we need,” said VFL’s chairman Francisco Garcia Sanz to the Wolfsburger Allgemein Zeitung. “One thing’s for sure, we don’t make rash decisions here anymore.”
