The final game of gameweek 23 in the Bundesliga will see a battle between two sides that are have stumbled recently in their push for the European spots.
VFL Wolfsburg are looking to find some consistency as they welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to the Volkswagen Arena on Sunday evening.
The home side sit in seventh on 33 points and claimed their first win in five games last time out in a 2-0 win over FC Koln, thanks to goals from Yannick Gerhardt and a Maximillian Arnold penalty.
Eintracht have been inconsistent themselves recently. Oliver Glasner's side looked like they were making a title challenge following the winter break, but a 2-1 defeat to RB Leipzig last weekend has left them four points behind the UEFA Champions League places.
Frankfurt sit one place above Wolfsburg in the UEFA Europa Conference League place and five points ahead of their opponents. These two sides faced-off back on gameweek six with Wolfsburg winning 1-0 thanks to a Maxence Lacroix goal.
This game is a tale of an impressive away side and a side that have struggled to find form at home. Eintracht have the seventh best away form this season and despite being winless in their last five games on the road, they have taken 16 points from their 11 away matches.
Back-to-back home defeats have led to Wolfsburg having the 13th best home form having taken 15 points from their 10 home games.
A lot is on the line for these two sides as they both had aims to be playing European football next season and this game could be key heading into the final months of the Bundesliga season.
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Team News
VFL Wolfsburg
Lukas Nmecha is questionable with an illness but is yet to be ruled out and with the game being late on Sunday, he may still make the bench.
Bartol Franjic will miss this fixture having picked up an injury in training, while right-back Kilian Fischer was impressive against Koln and earning his first assist will ensure he starts again. The right-back is also unbeaten in his Bundesliga starts for Die Wölfe and will look to extend that record.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Frankfurt will be without Swiss midfielder Djibril Sow after he picked up his fifth yellow card of the season last weekend. Mario Gotze will be available having missed last weekend with a back injury and may return, allowing Daichi Kamada to drop back into midfield alongside Sebastian Rode.
The defence may see a change with Frenchman Evan Ndicka potentially returning to the starting lineup having been on the bench in the defeat to Leipzig.
A relief for Glasner is that top scorer Randal Kolo Muani will be available despite missing training with an illness.
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Likely Lineups
VFL Wolfsburg
Casteels; Fischer, Lacroix, van de Ven, Paulo Otavio; Svanberg, Arnold, Gerhardt; Baku, Marmoush, Wimmer
Eintracht Frankfurt
Trapp; Tuta, Hasebe, Ndicka; Buta, Rode, Kamada, Max; Lindstrom, Gotze, Kolo Muani
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Key Players
VFL Wolfsburg - Ridle Baku
Ridle Baku has been one of the standout players for Wolfsburg over recent years and has continued to impress this season. The 24 year old winger is joint top scorer this season with five goals and has an assist to his name too.
His season best goals scored is six, which he managed in his first season with Wolfsburg in the 2020/21 season. Sitting just one behind this already with 12 games to play gives the German a great opportunity to better this record and potentially put himself back in contention for a call-up to the national team.
He is not a traditional wide-man as he can play all along the right side and has played as a fullback or a wing-back. His pace is one of his best assets and will look to get at the back three of Frankfurt and deliver into the box.
Eintracht Frankfurt - Philipp Max
The loanee from PSV Eindhoven has been very impressive for Frankfurt since his move back to the Bundesliga in January. Philipp Max suits the Eintracht style perfectly, providing an attacking threat on the left-side whilst also having the defensive assets to provide support for the back three.
He is yet to register an assist but has created chances in abundance from the left-wing. A trademark of his is deliveries into the box whether from open play or set pieces, as seen in his side's 2-0 victory over Werder Bremen with both goals being the result of his crosses into the box.
Max has shown enough quality in his six appearances that rumours have spread of his loan move being made permanent in the summer. The battle between him and Baku this weekend will be interesting to see and could be one that decides the outcome of the game.
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Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Frankfurt head north to visit Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena.
What time is kick-off?
This game is the final game of the gameweek and kick-off is at 16:30 GMT on Sunday.
How can I watch?
The game will be live on Sky Sports Football with coverage beginning just before kick-off.
You can follow all the news and views as it happens right here on VAVEL UK.