Match Preview: Dortmund Look to Keep up ‘Title Chase’ Against VfL Wolfburg

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COLOGNE, GERMANY - JANUARY 30: (Lr) Moritz Jenz of VfL Wolfsburg and Maximilian Arnold of VfL Wolfsburg looks dejected during the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Köln and VfL Wolfsburg at RheinEnergieStadion on January 30, 2026 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by Jan Fromme - firo sportphoto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Don’t tell anyone but Borussia Dortmund might actually be in a title chase. After five months of Bayern Munchen pulverizing every team that played them, a string of two bad results mean Dortmund are only six points behind the perennial champions. Unfortunately for Dortmund, they also have to get results if they want any hope of toppling Die Roten. Tomorrow’s match against VfL Wolfsburg is a must-win if Dortmund wish to keep pace.

Not only does tomorrow’s match have huge implications for the club, it has huge implications for Niko Kovac. The Dortmund boss has the opportunity to record his 100th Bundesliga win and will have to do it against his former club. Wolfsburg sacked Kovac in March of 2024 and the Croatian returns 2 years later to keep his team in the title race. It won’t be an easy game despite 26 points separating the two sides. After a quiet January transfer window and fresh injuries to Emre Can and Karim Adeyemi, Dortmund have only 16 health professional players on their roster. The club’s high-octane schedule will only get worse as tomorrow’s match will be the first of six across a 21 day period.

For Wolfsburg, this match is about survival. The club is in 14th place and only 2 points from the relegation playoff. A draw to Heidenheim and losses against Mainz and Koln have pushed their season to brink. For Daniel Bauer’s men – every goal and every point matters.

Player to Watch: Mohamed Amoura​

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Mohamed Amoura must be the player to watch. Not because he bangs in goals, although he is Wolfsburg’s top goalscorer with seven goals, but because of the drama surrounding him. Amoura returned to Wolfsburg’s lineup following AFCON and managed Wolfsburg’s only goal in his last match against Mainz. The club then suspended the player following an altercation between Amoura and his teammate. Now, Amoura returns to the lineup and I’m not quite sure what to expect. Will the rift between him and the club cause him to under-perform? Will he come back with a vengeance and score a hat-trick against Dortmund’s struggling defense? We’ll find out tomorrow!

Expected Lineup: 3-4-3​

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Very little thought goes into these expected lineups now that Dortmund’s squad is so thin. Unfortunately, we have to anticipate Nico Schlotterbeck, Waldermar Anton, and Niklas Sule starting in defense as there is no rotation. Tomorrow’s squad includes 17-year-old Luca Regigiani as depth in defense. Julian Ryerson and Daniel Svensson will start on the flanks with Felix Nmecha and Jobe Bellingham between them. Dortmund’s front three will likely be Maxmilian Beier, Fabio Silva, and Serhou Guirassy. Adeyemi is not making the trip to Wolfsburg following an undetermined injury and 17-year-old Samuele Inacio will be on the bench alongside Julian Brandt and Carney Chukwuemeka.

Your Thoughts​

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