Wolfsburg vs Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga: live score and latest updates

Wolfsburg are dropping deep but coping well with Haaland’s threat so far. Mbabu skedaddles up the right and again goes for the early cross, standing up a chip to the edge of the D for Weghorst but again Hummels is too strong for him. Dortmund shift it up the right quickly for Hakimi to chase but the remarkably quick Pongracic smoothly accelerates to snuff out the danger with the support of his keeper. 

Schlager runs on to the ball in midfield after Steffen steps on Dahoud’s foot in the tackle. Play is allowed to run on for half a minute but the Austria midfielder can’t keep control.  

Akanki has a wander forward and has the option of sliding Haaland in down the inside-left channel but instead floats a rotten cross straight down Casteels’ throat. 

Akanji makes a mistake, underhitting a pass under pressure to the left. Steffen snaps on to it and rolls Mbabu down the touchline and the right-back whips in a cross that Weghorst meets, strongly challenged by Hummels who gets more on it and heads it back to Burki. 

Sharp interception from Roussillon to stop Hazard getting on the end of Hummels’ torpedo pass. 

Mbabu cuts out Guerreiro’s pass that was intended for Haaland. He played for Young Boys against Manchester United last year and played a couple of games for Newcastle United back in the distant. Hakimi takes a pair of throws on the right, the first headed out for the second, which he knocks back to Hummels who whacks it long. 

Ginczek is up top with Weghorst for Wolfsburg with Mehmedi wide. Arnold scoots up the left and has the front two splitting front and back for the cross which is rubbish and Dortmund clear easily. 

Bold start from Dortmund, moving up the right until they run out of space and from a throw-in Wolfsburg counter. 

They are wearing black armbands as a mark of respect for all who have lost their lives during the pandemic and will observe a socially distanced minute’s silence. 

Wolfsburg Casteels; Mbabu, Pongracic, Brooks,, Roussillon; Steffen, Arnold, Schlager, Ginczek; Weghorst, Mehmedi.
Substitutes Pervan, Brekalo, Klaus, Horn, Marmoush, Knoche, Tisserand, Victor, Justvan.

Borussia Dortmund Burki; Piszczek, Hummels, Akanji; Hakimi, Delaney, Dahoud, Guerreiro; Brandt, Hazard; Haaland.
Substitutes Hitz, Reyna, Sancho, Can, Morey, Balerdi, Schmelzer, Gotze, Raschl.

 With Mehmedi and Weghorst up front. 

And welcome to coverage of sixth versus second in the Bundesliga. It’s a case of the old gang show song ‘Green and Yeller’ as Wolfsburg, unbeaten in seven and comeback winners over Augsburg last week, take on Borussia Dortmund, who got football’s return off to such a thrilling start by tearing fragile Schalke apart. The visitors are four points behind Bayern Munich but victory in Lower Saxony today would allow them to take the champions on in Tuesday’s Klassiker with the chance to cut that lead to a point.

It’s been a strange season for Wolfsburg under Oliver Glasner, the man who took LASK to the runners-up spot in last season’s Austrian Bundesliga. They were unbeaten in their first nine league matches but after a thumping by RB Leipzig in the cup, they fell apart, losing four out of five in late autumn/early winter, a run that began with a 3-0 hammering by Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion.

It eventually forced a switch from playing three at the back and Jeffrey Bruma, the experienced Dutch centre-back, was jettisoned and sent out on loan to Mainz. They are a decent side, with a fine keeper in Koen  Casteels good full-backs and the outstanding prospect Marin Pongracic at centre-half. Top scorer Wout Weghorst, the 6ft 5in Dutchman, returns after suspension which may mean a move from last week’s 4-4-2 back to 4-3-3.

Dortmund, slick, quick and dangerous to go toe-to-toe with, can now call on Jadon Sancho and Emre Can to bolster those glittering attacking and midfield options. They are a fine side, who led Schalke a merry dance in the derby. But there is always hope if an opponent can rattle Mats Hummels, which should be Weghorst’s job today.

We’ll have the team news in a few moments.