Ailing Wolves seeking pick-me-up against Köln
After suffering at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt's Alexander Meier last time out, VfL Wolfsburg will be looking to get 2016 up and running with a win when they welcome 1. FC Köln to the Volkswagen Arena in Matchday 19's penultimate game (kick-off 15:30CET/14:30GMT).
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A hat-trick from the inspired Meier condemned the Wolves to a disappointing start to the Rückrunde, but they will take heart from a recent record of just one league loss against Köln in six years. The Billy Goats are also reeling and in need of points, however, following a 3-1 loss at home to VfB Stuttgart on Matchday 18.
History
Matchday 2 rewind: Köln 1-1 Wolfsburg
Goals: 1-0 Zoller (30'); 1-1 Bendtner (83')
Matchday 19 - match facts
- Köln have won just once in their last eight league matches against Wolfsburg: a 3-2 success at the Volkswagen Arena on 24 January 2010.After finishing second last season, Wolfsburg are performing well below expectations this year and are currently outside the top six.The Wolves are without a league win in five games, which is the longest barren run of any club at present and the longest since Dieter Hecking took charge.Hecking's men are even bottom of the form table taking the last five games into account and have 11 points less at this stage of the season compared to 2014/15.Köln have lost just one of their last five away games - at FC Bayern München.
Possible line-ups
Wolfsburg: Benaglio - Vieirinha, Naldo, Dante, Rodriguez - Träsch, Guilavogui - Caligiuri, Kruse, Draxler - Schürrle
Absentees: Arnold (knee), Ascues (knee), Dost (foot)
Köln: Horn - Olkowski, Maroh, Heintz, Hector - Risse, Vogt, Lehmann, Bittencourt - Osako, Modeste
Absentees: none