
Wolfsburg vs. Bayern Munich: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info
Bayern Munich visit Wolfsburg as they look to rebound from a somewhat disappointing end to Tuesday's Champions League clash with Juventus. The Bavarians came out in brilliant form at the start of the first leg of their Round of 16 tie, but despite opening a two-goal advantage in the 55th minute, they were held to a draw in Turin.
After the match, Pep Guardiola insisted that "[Bayern had] played well for 90 minutes, not for 60" (via Deutsche Welle), emphasizing that as Champions League runners-up and Serie A winners, Juventus were a fantastic side.
Now, Bayern visit the holders of the DFB-Pokal, Wolfsburg, months after eliminating last year's winners of the German Cup and beating them in the Bundesliga in a matter of weeks.
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Wolfsburg overall look a shadow of the side that shocked Bayern with a 4-1 win in January of 2015, notably with talismanic playmaker Kevin De Bruyne having left for Manchester City last summer. They were eliminated by Bayern in the Pokal and now stand eighth in the Bundesliga table, with just one win from five Bundesliga games in 2016.
At the same time, Dieter Hecking's side are still alive and well in the Champions League. Despite a bit of a late collapse, they managed to win the first leg of their Round of 16 tie with Gent by a 3-2 margin away from home. Bayern are a tougher side still, but the hosts will aim to reach their very highest level in a game that could prove a turning point in their bid to qualify for the Champions League for a second consecutive season.
Date: Saturday, February 27
Time: 2:30 p.m. GMT/9:30 a.m. ET/3:30 p.m. local time
Venue: Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg
TV Info: Fox Soccer 2 (U.S. only), BT Sport Europe (UK only, on time delay from 11:45 p.m.)
Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S. only), BT Sport (UK only)
Form Guide
| Wolfsburg | Bayern Munich |
| Hertha: Draw | Juventus: Draw |
| Gent: Win | Darmstadt: Win |
| Ingolstadt: Win | Augsburg: Win |
| Schalke: Loss | Bochum: Win |
| Cologne: Draw | Leverkusen: Draw |

Team News
Wolfsburg
The hosts will be without a lengthy list of players for Saturday's clash, including Diego Benaglio, Sebastian Jung, Daniel Caligiuri, Joshua Guilavogui, Bas Dost, Bruno Henrique, Paul Seguin and Carlos Ascues.
Possible Wolfsburg starting XI: Casteels; Trasch, Naldo, Dante, Rodriguez; Arnold, Gustavo; Vieirinha, Draxler, Schafer; Kruse
Bayern Munich
Bayern's injured list has decreased over the last week or so, but Jerome Boateng, Holger Badstuber and Javi Martinez are sidelined with various knocks, while Rafinha is suspended due to accumulation of bookings.
Possible Bayern starting XI: Neuer; Lahm, Benatia, Alaba, Bernat; Alonso, Thiago; Robben, Muller, Coman; Lewandowski
Players to Watch
For the hosts, Julian Draxler will be the man to watch. The winger led the way for Wolfsburg's win against Gent with a brace, and has also scored two other goals in the Bundesliga since the second round began. Andre Schurrle is also a danger, despite having been relegated to a bench-warming role as of late, while ex-Bayern man Dante and fellow center-back Naldo could be dangerous from set pieces.
Mehdi Benatia is likely to make his long-awaited return to the starting lineup this weekend, and all eyes will be on the Moroccan as he looks to gather form amid a blight of injuries to Bayern center-backs. Robert Lewandowski has been huge for Bayern in 2016 and could be the difference-maker. Then again, so could Thomas Muller, who stunned Juve with the opener in midweek.

Key Battles
Julian Draxler vs. Xabi Alonso
Draxler hasn't exactly fit into De Bruyne's boots this season, but he still is probably Wolfsburg's best attacking player. Known as a player for the big stage, he assisted Daniel Caligiuri's opener against Bayern in September.
Alonso will be keen to make a point after being benched against Juventus. The veteran will play in his typical, anchoring role in midfield but will likely aim to stifle Draxler more by keeping the ball than tackling. Although 34 years of age, the Spaniard still has a keen eye for a long pass.
Naldo vs. Robert Lewandowski
Even at 33 years of age, Naldo is still a respected, veteran player in the Wolfsburg team. The center-back's height, strength and tackling skill make him one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga, and his ability from free-kicks as both a direct shooter and target man could make him a valuable asset against Bayern's undersized defense.
Lewandowski seems to love playing against Wolfsburg. When Bayern hosted the Wolves in September, he came off the bench at half-time and scored five goals in nine minutes. Although he wasn't on target against Juventus, the Poland international will be keen to find his top form again, and the prospect of playing Wolfsburg could offer a bit of extra inspiration.
Odds (courtesy of Odds Shark)
Wolfsburg: 267/50
Draw: 363/100
Bayern: 100-217






