Bundesliga: Dortmund Aim to Keep the Wolves at Bay

Borussia Dortmund vs VfL Wolfsburg

Niko Kovac’s Borussia Dortmund host Paul Simonis’ VfL Wolfsburg in a tasty clash at the Signal Iduna Park on Sunday in a second versus eighth clash.

New manager Simonis has made a decent start as Wolfsburg manager, and his team has had more time to prepare for this game, which, if they win, will take them above their hosts in the Bundesliga table. It’s a big if, though.

Dortmund drew 4-4 with Juventus in their Champions League opener on Tuesday after winning their last Bundesliga match away to Heidenheim, while VfL Wolfsburg recorded back-to-back draws with a 3-3 result at home to Koln.

Before this match kicks off on Sunday, Bayern Munich could have stretched their two-point lead to five, but a trip to Hoffenheim is certainly not a gimme for the Bavarians.

BVB, who have a good chance to make a serious challenge for the title, according to the early Bundesliga 2025 betting odds, need to keep the pressure on.

 

Talking Points

How much did Juventus take out of BVB?

If you had offered Die Schwarzgelben a draw away to Juventus in their Champions League opener, they would probably have taken that. But the players, manager, and fans may feel differently about that now, after they let a lead go three times.

After a goalless first 45 minutes, the game exploded into life with eight strikes in the second period. Karim Adeyemi gave BVB a lead, but it wasn’t long before Kenan Yildiz equalised. Felix Nmecha restored the Germans’ lead, but they were again pegged back when Dusan Vlahovic scored.

BVB entered injury time with a two-goal lead thanks to Yan Couto and Ramy Bensebaini, but a second from Vlahovic and a late, late leveller courtesy of Lloyd Kelly crushed Kovac’s dreams of a winning start. It was a breathless end to the game and is sure to have taken something out of the Dortmund players.

But how much?

Top scorer, Serhou Guirassy, who has four league goals so far, played 92 minutes while Adeyemi and midfield ace Marcel Sabitzer played the full game, as did defenders Waldemar Anton, Couto, and Julian Ryerson. But Kovac rested Jude Bellingham and Julian Brandt until the 71^st minute when he threw them on.

The Champions League is important for sure, but let’s see how well BVB can juggle their priorities.

 

Could Eriksen feature for Wolfsburg?

The big Bundesliga 2025 news in Wolfsburg last week concerned the signing of Denmark star Christian Eriksen, who was a free agent having been released by Manchester United. Now 33 years old, the creative midfielder has made 144 appearances for his country, scoring 46 goals, and he played 73 times for the Red Devils after starring previously for Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan. A hugely intelligent player with superb delivery, Eriksen is a man who can make things happen, and he may give Die Wolfe the star quality they need to threaten the top six.

Eriksen was in the squad for Wolfsburg’s home match against Koln, on the day of the club’s 80^th anniversary party, but didn’t play any part, and he’s hoping to make his debut this weekend: “I had hoped to get a few minutes,” he said. “Still, I really enjoyed experiencing the atmosphere and seeing how people celebrated this special day.”

This is Eriksen’s first foray into German football, but as his former Spurs teammate Harry Kane would testify, the Bundesliga is famed for its open and high-scoring games, which will give the Dane plenty of opportunity to shine.

He will join a creative unit that includes skipper Maximilian Arnold and Austrian striker Patrick Wimmer, and Eriksen will be keen to make his mark as soon as possible, maybe on Sunday.

 

History

Dortmund have had the better of the head-to-head meetings, winning 29 to Wolfsburg’s ten of the last 46 games, while there have been seven draws.

When the two teams met at the Signal Iduna Park in May, BVB ran out 4-0 winners thanks to two goals each from Serhou Guirassy and Karim Adeyemi. The result lifted BVB into the top four and catapulted them towards Champions League football.

In terms of recent form, there is nothing to choose between the teams who have each picked up three wins, two draws, and a single defeat from the last six games in all competitions.

 

Betting Tip

Dortmund are highly fancied to win this tussle at SBOTOP odds of 1.50, while the draw is at 4.62 and a Wolfsburg win is at 5.44.

I’m leaning towards a Borussia win, but I think the value lies in four goals or more. Six of the last 12 games involving either team have yielded at least four goals, and there have been at least two in each of their games this season.

   

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