Borussia M’gladbach vs Wolfsburg

As the Bundesliga season draws to a close, two struggling sides, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Wolfsburg, prepare for a decisive encounter in Gameweek 34 at Borussia-Park. Separated by just two positions in the league table, both teams enter this fixture mired in poor form, desperately seeking a positive result to salvage some pride from what has been a disappointing campaign. The Foals, winless in their last six league matches, face a Wolfsburg side that has gone nine games without a victory—a dismal streak that ultimately cost manager Ralph Hasenhüttl his job at the beginning of May. With little left to play for in terms of European qualification or relegation battles, this match serves as an opportunity for both clubs to end the season on a somewhat brighter note before turning their attention to rebuilding for the next campaign.

For Borussia Mönchengladbach, the final stretch of the season has been particularly frustrating. After a brief resurgence in late March and early April—where they secured back-to-back victories against Werder Bremen (4-2) and RB Leipzig (1-0), followed by a hard-fought draw at St. Pauli—there was genuine optimism among fans that the team could finish strongly. However, those hopes have since evaporated, with Gerardo Seoane’s men managing just one point from their last five matches. This collapse has left them languishing in mid-table, with an eighth-place finish now the highest possible outcome—and even that would require a highly improbable sequence of results. Not only would Gladbach need to defeat Wolfsburg, but they would also need both Werder Bremen and Stuttgart to lose their respective matches against Heidenheim and RB Leipzig. Given the current form of all teams involved, such a scenario seems unlikely.

Adding to Gladbach’s woes has been their dismal home form. Borussia-Park, once a fortress, has become a source of frustration for supporters, with the team winning just once in their last six matches on home soil. In that span, they have suffered three defeats, including a particularly gut-wrenching collapse against Hoffenheim in their previous outing. In that match, the Foals twice held commanding leads—first 2-0, then 3-2—only to squander both advantages, requiring a late Tim Kleindienst equalizer to salvage a point. Such defensive frailties have plagued Gladbach all season, and with Wolfsburg having thrashed them 5-1 in the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign, Seoane’s side will be eager for revenge while also looking to extend their opponents’ miserable run of form.

Wolfsburg, meanwhile, arrive at Borussia-Park in an even more dire situation. The dismissal of Ralph Hasenhüttl at the start of May was a direct consequence of the team’s eight-match winless streak, which has since stretched to nine under interim boss Daniel Bauer. While the Wolves have at least avoided the kind of catastrophic losing runs that defined parts of their season—such as the 11-game winless streak between December 2023 and March 2024—their inability to secure three points in any of their last nine matches underscores the deep-rooted issues within the squad. Defensive instability has been a major factor in their struggles; the team has not kept a clean sheet since a goalless draw against Bayer Leverkusen in February, a staggering run of 13 consecutive Bundesliga matches without shutting out their opponents. If Bauer is to secure even a semblance of positivity heading into the offseason, he must find a way to shore up his backline and prevent Gladbach’s attackers from running riot.

Historically, this fixture has not been particularly kind to Wolfsburg. Prior to their 5-1 demolition of Gladbach earlier in the season, they had gone nine matches without a win against the Foals, losing five times in that stretch. Now, with momentum firmly against them, the Wolves will be hoping to complete a rare league double over their opponents—a feat they have not achieved since the 2009-10 season. A victory, combined with a favorable result elsewhere (namely, an Augsburg defeat to Union Berlin), could see Wolfsburg climb to 11th place, one position higher than their 12th-place finish last season. While such a minor improvement would hardly constitute a successful campaign, it would at least provide a small measure of consolation for a fanbase that has endured a largely forgettable year.

As both teams take to the field on the final day of the season, the stakes may not be as high as they once hoped, but pride and momentum remain crucial. For Gladbach, a win would offer a glimmer of hope after a dismal second half of the season, while Wolfsburg will be desperate to avoid ending the campaign on a 10-game winless streak. With tactical battles, individual pride, and the weight of recent history all in play, this encounter promises to be an intriguing conclusion to what has been a turbulent season for both clubs.