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Wolfsburg finished seventh and qualified for the Europa League last season and more will be expected from Oliver Glasner’s side in the 2020-21 Bundesliga season.
Yet that’s likely to be easier said than done in an increasingly competitive German top flight and with European football to contend with too. Wolfsburg have also been pretty quiet in the transfer market ahead of the start of the season but still have time to strengthen.
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Starting with the 2020-21 season, anyone in the US can watch every Wolfsburg game live on ESPN+:
ESPN+ will have live coverage of every Bundesliga match in 20-21, as well as DFL Supercup, Bundesliga 2, Serie A, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, MLS and other live sports. It also includes every 30-for-30 documentary and additional original content (both video and written) all for $5.99 per month.
Or, if you also want Disney+ and Hulu, you can get all three for $12.99 per month, which works out to about 31 percent savings:
Get the ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu Bundle
Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch every Wolfsburg match live on the ESPN app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via ESPN.com.
Wolfsburg 2020-21 Preview
Wolfsburg may need to take a more expansive approach if they are to improve on last season’s fine campaign. The team finished in a very creditable seventh place but only scored 48 goals in their 34 Bundesliga matches, the joint-lowest record in the top half.
Sixteen of those goals came from striker Wout Weghorst who will once again play a key role for his team. The 28-year-old was only outscored in the German top flight by Robert Lewandowski, Timo Werner, and Jadon Sancho last season.
Attacking inspiration will also be provided from midfielder Maximilian Arnold. The vice-captain supplied 11 assists and five goals last season and will also be a threat with his pinpoint set-pieces.
#TBT to when Maximilian Arnold defied the laws of physics with this free kick for Wolfsburg 🤯
… and nutmegged the goalkeeper on the way out. 🙈
Swiss international Renato Steffen also chipped in with six goals in 2019-20 and has recently committed his future to the club, signing a new contract that runs until 2023. The 28-year-old told the club’s website he’s now focused on the new season.
“I’m very pleased that we were able to agree on a contract extension before the start of the new season. Now I can fully concentrate on the sporting tasks, because I still have a lot of plans with VfL, and I want to do my part to help us achieve our goals. I love living here in Wolfsburg, and my family feels at home here as well. Therefore, we are very much looking forward to the coming years.”
Wolfsburg also have plenty of quality elsewhere in the team including goalkeeper Koen Casteels, captain Josuha Guilavogui and talented youngsters such as Xaver Schlager and Marin Pongracic.
Transfer Ins and Outs
Wolfsburg have boosted their defence ahead of the start of the new season by bringing in 20-year-old central defender Maxence Lacroix from French side Sochaux. Sporting director Marcel Schäfer told the club’s website he’s confident the youngster will be a hit in Germany.
“With Maxence we are consistently following our path further, talented, to bring young and hungry players to Wolfsburg who can develop at a high level with us and take their next career step. He has everything it takes to assert himself in the Bundesliga.”
Lacroix will take the No. 4 shirt at Wolfsburg, replacing midfielder Ignacio Camacho who has been forced to retire at the age of 30 due to injury.
Summer signing @LacroixMaxence to wear number 4️⃣ shirt.
Lacroix given Camacho’s number ▶️ t.co/5TmbBhsSi3
Teenager Bartosz Bialek has also arrived from Polish side Zaglebie Lubin after netting 14 goals in 33 games in the 2019/20. The 18-year-old has signed a four-year deal with the German outfit.
Manager Oliver Glasner has told Kicker he’s expecting more new arrivals before the close of the transfer window next month.
“We’re not finished with our active efforts to strengthen the squad. I’m fairly certain that it will look different on October 6th than it does today.”
Meanwhile, there have been a number of outgoings in the close season. Defender Marcel Tisserand has signed for Turkish side Fenerbahce, Robin Knoche has moved to Union Berlin, and Augsburg have signed Felix Uduokhai on a permanent basis after an impressive loan spell.
Coach: Oliver Glasner
Glasner joined Wolfsburg in 2019 from Austrian side LASK Linz and enjoyed a strong first season in the Bundesliga. He started brilliantly with a 13-game unbeaten run which set his team up nicely for an impressive campaign.
The 46-year-old will have a lot to live up to in his second season in charge of Wolfsburg and also has to negotiate the demands of European football too. Yet he spoke to Sport Buzzer recently and did not appear too worried about the possibility of suffering the dreaded ‘second-season syndrome’ at the Volkswagen Arena.
“I was also told about the darn second year in Linz when we finished fourth straight away after our promotion. A year later we were runner-up. So that’s not true from my experience. I think that there is often a spark of truth in many proverbs and sayings – but I don’t think much of the second year thing.”
An intense season awaits The Wolves both domestically and in Europe. A top-half finish looks to be the minimum requirement for Glasner and his men, but anything better than that would do nicely.
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