Preview: Wolfsburg vs St Pauli - prediction, team news, lineups

Fighting for survival in the Bundesliga, St Pauli will travel to face fellow strugglers Wolfsburg for a six-pointer at Volkswagen Arena on Wednesday.

Die Wolfe are hoping to avoid a third consecutive defeat in midweek, while Kiezkicker could make it six games unbeaten.

Match preview

When Daniel Bauer's Wolfsburg beat Union Berlin 3-1 and Borussia Monchengladbach by the same scoreline last month, they thought they had turned a corner, but the hosts come into this contest after losing back-to-back league games.

To make matters worse, Die Wolfe kicked off their 2026 top-flight calendar with an embarrassing 8-1 demolition on the road against Bayern Munich on Sunday, a game that saw the White and Greens' Kilian Fischer and Moritz Jenz score own goals.

That damning defeat has left Bauer's side 14th in the table with just 15 points, a dismal tally that puts them a mere three above 17th-placed Heidenheim.

Hoping to move on and kickstart their year in midweek, the hosts are in the unusual position of performing significantly worse at home than away, and fans would be forgiven for being concerned given that Wolfsburg have only won once at Volkswagen Arena in 2025-26.

A rare victory on their own turf this Wednesday could lift Die Wolfe up to 11th, leapfrogging Hamburger SV, Werder Bremen and FC Koln in the process, though a third loss on the bounce may see them drop into the relegation zone in a nightmare scenario.

Meanwhile, Alexander Blessin's St Pauli are preparing for their first Bundesliga outing since December 21, after their showdown with RB Leipzig was called off due to a snowstorm.

As a result, Kiezkicker have played a game fewer than the teams around them, but considering that 15th-placed Augsburg, their 14th-placed opponents and 13th-placed Hamburger all lost on matchday 16, the club have a chance to gain significant ground on their rivals.

Blessin's men currently sit 16th in the league with 12 points, though with a game in hand - as well as an impressive unbeaten run heading into this clash - they will be cautiously optimistic of climbing out of the relegation zone.

In order to avoid stagnation over the winter break, St Pauli scheduled a friendly against fellow top-flight side Werder Bremen on January 4, and after drawing 0-0 in that contest, they return to competitive action having avoided defeat for five games.

Knowing that only a victory on Wednesday will be enough to see them escape the bottom three, Kiezkicker will see this game as a golden opportunity, and given that the visitors have not lost away from home since November, fans may even be confident about their side's chances.

Wolfsburg Bundesliga form:

St Pauli Bundesliga form:

St Pauli form (all competitions):

Team News

Wolfsburg have gaps to fill out wide without injured left-backs Joakim Maehle and Rogerio, as well as right-winger Andreas Skov Olsen, so expect to see Aaron Zehnter and Sael Kumbedi start at full-back, with Patrick Wimmer and Christian Eriksen on the flanks.

Dzenan Pejcinovic is likely to operate as a lone striker in midweek, given that Jonas Wind sidelined with a thigh problem and uncertainty remains regarding Mohamed El Amine Amoura's readiness to feature after his return from the Africa Cup of Nations.

At the opposite end of the pitch, goalkeeper Marius Muller is out with a concussion, while centre-back Jenson Seelt is a doubt due to illness, though Kamil Grabara should be on hand to start between the sticks, protected by Moritz Jenz and Konstantinos Koulierakis.

In the centre of the park, 19-year-old Bence Dardai is not anticipated to return to action this season after suffering an ACL injury back in November, and Yannick Gerhardt could join Maximilian Arnold at the base of Die Wolfe's midfield this week.

As for St Pauli, they are missing strikers Danel Sinani and Andreas Hountondji as they recover from respective calf and ankle injuries, so expect to see Abdoulie Ceesay and Mathias Pereira Lage form a front two on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, centre-back David Nemeth is sidelined with a muscular issue, and goalkeeper Simon Spari is unavailable due to an ankle injury, but Hauke Wahl, Karol Mets and the versatile Eric Smith will be ready to start in Blessin's back three.

Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:

Grabara; Kumbedi, Jenz, Koulierakis, Zehnter; Gerhardt, Arnold; Eriksen, Majer, Wimmer; Pejcinovic

St Pauli possible starting lineup:

Vasilj; Wahl, Smith, Mets; Pyrka, Fujita, Sands, Irvine, Oppie; Kaars, Pereira Lage

We say: Wolfsburg 1-2 St Pauli

Wolfsburg will be desperate to put points on the board given that they are under serious pressure from the bottom three, but their dire home record suggests that they may struggle in midweek.

St Pauli are also facing the threat of relegation this season, but their recent resilience has been commendable, and they could walk away with all three points on Wednesday.

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