VfL Wolfsburg head to Belgian side KAA Gent for today’s UEFA Champions League round-of-16, first-leg tie with renewed confidence after Germany’s Julian Draxler helped break their six-match winless streak.
DFB Pokal holders Wolfsburg powered their way into the knockout stages by beating Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United 3-2 at home in December last year to condemn the Red Devils to the UEFA Europa League.
Germany midfielder Draxler ran riot, while Brazilian defender Naldo headed two goals to put Wolfsburg in the round-of-16 for the first time in the club’s history, but since beating United the Germans had failed to win any of their next five games until Draxler scored in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Ingolstadt 04 in the Bundesliga.
The 22-year-old World Cup winner finished a move he started, before defender Robin Knoche added the second after halftime.
Having been booed while losing at Schalke 04 the week before, Wolfsburg’s victory gave the side much-needed confidence ahead of the trip to Belgium.
“The fans were right to criticize us,” said Draxler, who cost Wolfsburg 35 million euros (US$39.4 million) from Schalke in August last year. “We hadn’t shown for a while what we could do. We’ve drawn a line under things now and got the three points we needed.”
However, Wolfsburg head coach Dieter Hecking has warned his side to expect a much tougher test at Gent than Ingolstadt provided.
“We mustn’t make so many mistakes,” Hecking said after 124 of his side’s 377 passes went astray on Saturday. “We need more ball possession to make the opponent chase after us.”
“Julian had his moment, he looked dangerous in front of goal, which is why we signed him, but he is also struggling for form,” he said. “What applies to him also goes for the whole team — we can still do better.”
Knoche is expected to start in Gent at centerback for Naldo, who is suspended after picking up his third European booking in the win over United.
Gent’s 1-0 defeat to title rivals Club Brugge KV cost them top spot in the Belgian league to leave them second, but they warmed up for Wolfsburg with a 2-0 win over Royal Mouscron-Peruwelz on Friday last week thanks to goals from Mbark Boussoufa and Danijel Milicevic.
Swiss midfielder Milicevic is doubtful with an ankle injury, but Gent need their top scorer in Europe with Milicevic having scored three goals in their six games.
Naldo expects his team to endure a tough night at the Ghelamco Arena as Gent try to make the quarter-finals of the Champions League at their first attempt.
“They’re a team that won’t lie down, a team that always look for goals,” Naldo said. “They took out some big teams along the way... We have to be ready because they will come out fighting to make history in the Champions League.”
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