Preview: Bayer Leverkusen vs Wolfsburg - prediction, team news, lineups

Desperate to claw themselves closer to Bundesliga safety, relegation-threatened Wolfsburg will travel to take on European hopefuls Bayer Leverkusen at BayArena on Saturday.

Die Werkself are looking for their first win in six games this weekend, while Die Wolfe are hoping to avoid a fifth defeat in six matches.

Match preview

Kasper Hjulmand's Leverkusen are comfortable in the top six at the moment, but unless their dire form improves, the run in could become increasingly tense as the campaign draws to a close.

With seven games remaining in the Bundesliga calendar, Die Werkself sit sixth in the division, eight points clear of seventh-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.

However, Hjulmand's side were held to a 3-3 draw by bottom-of-the-table Heidenheim, a result that extended their winless run to five games across all competitions, and was made all the more concerning by the fact that Malik Tillman and Patrik Schick had given them a two-goal lead.

Saturday's showdown comes one month to the day that Leverkusen downed promoted club Hamburger SV 1-0 in their most recent triumph - and their only one in the league since a 4-0 thrashing of St Pauli on Valentine's Day.

The more positive amongst the BayArena crowd would highlight that despite a lack of victories, the hosts have only lost one of their last eight matches overall, and are without defeat on their own turf since a 4-1 beating by Stuttgart on January 10.

That being said, anything less than three points on Saturday would be seen as a major disappointment, and if Frankfurt or eighth-placed Freiburg can capitalise, Hjulmand's men would suddenly be looking over their shoulder at their top-six rivals once again.

Meanwhile, Wolfsburg are at serious risk of relegation this season, and after appointing Dieter Hecking on March 8, they are now under the tenure of their third manager of the campaign.

Daniel Bauer, who had been with Die Wolfe in a variety of roles (particularly in the academy) for a number of years, tried to right the course that his predecessor Paul Simonis had set the team on, but he too was dismissed following an eight-game winless run that included six defeats, as well as an 8-1 hammering by Bayern Munich on January 11.

The club are hoping that Hecking's experience - he was Wolfsburg boss between 2012 and 2016 - can serve to steady the ship during the final seven matches of 2025-26, but while he collected a point in a 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim on March 14, he followed that up by losing 1-0 against Werder Bremen a week later.

That frustrating return to losing ways has left Die Wolfe 17th in the table with 21 points, three behind 16th-placed St Pauli in the relegation playoff spot, and five shy of 15th-placed FC Koln.

Knowing that another defeat could condemn their team, the travelling fans will be hoping that Wolfsburg can take advantage of Leverkusen's strife, but given that the visitors have lost four of their last six on the road, even a draw would represent a positive result.

Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga form:

Bayer Leverkusen form (all competitions):

Wolfsburg Bundesliga form:

Team News

Leverkusen will be without a number of players in wide areas this weekend, including right wing-back options Arthur and Lucas Vazquez due to respective ankle and calf injuries, as well as left winger Eliesse Ben Seghir, who has an ankle injury of his own to contend with.

To make matters worse, former Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah is sidelined after suffering a thigh injury against Heidenheim, while fellow centre-half Loic Bade is a doubt with a hamstring issue, so Tim Oermann could join Robert Andrich and Edmond Tapsoba in defence, flanked by Montrell Culbreath and Alejandro Grimaldo.

Elsewhere, midfielder Aleix Garcia is suspended for accumulating five yellow cards, and Martin Terrier is dealing with a hamstring injury, so expect to see Exequiel Palacios and Ezequiel Fernandez start in the centre of the park on Saturday.

As for Wolfsburg, they are facing something of a crisis in defence, missing centre-backs Cleiton Santos (ankle) and Jenson Seelt (knee) through injury, as well as Moritz Jenz, who is suspended after being sent off against Werder.

Die Wolfe are also without right-back Kilian Fischer (groin) and left-back Rogerio (knee), though Sael Kumbedi and Joakim Maehle should be ready to start either side of a three-man defence featuring Jeanuel Belocian, Denis Vavro and Konstantinos Koulierakis.

Further forward, Bence Dardai is out for the season with a knee injury, while wide man Kevin Paredes has a muscular problem, and attacking midfielder Lovro Majer is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow of the campaign against Werder.

Looking to fill the gaps, Hecking could set up with Christian Eriksen and Vini Souza at the base of his midfield, with Jesper Lindstrom and Mohamed El Amine Amoura behind striker Jonas Wind.

Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:

Flekken; Oermann, Andrich, Tapsoba; Culbreath, Palacios, Fernandez, Grimaldo; Maza, Poku; Schick

Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:

Grabara; Belocian, Vavro, Koulierakis; Kumbedi, Eriksen, Souza, Maehle; Lindstrom, Amoura; Wind

We say: Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Wolfsburg

Leverkusen have struggled in recent weeks, though their resilience suggests that they are unlikely to be beaten this weekend.

Wolfsburg will be desperate for a result, and they could put up a significant fight, but their own troubles could see them drop two points on Saturday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.