Wolfsburg vs Borussia Dortmund Preview: How to Watch on TV, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News
Over 60 days removed from its last final whistle, the Bundesliga - i.e. the pioneer of elite football in a COVID-19 world - was in desperate need to impress in its showcase to, well, anybody with any sanity.
And boy, did Borussia Dortmund deliver.
Lucien Favre's side were simply irresistible in their 4-0 thumping of Schalke in Saturday's Revierderby, as they closed the gap at the Bundesliga summit to just a point before Bayern Munich's 2-0 victory over Union Berlin on Sunday.
BVB's opponents this weekend, Wolfsburg, however, will be brimming with confidence following Daniel Ginczek's last gasp winner at Augsburg last Saturday.
Oliver Glasner's side currently hold a slender advantage over Freiburg and Schalke in the race for the final Europa League spot. Die Wölfe are sixth and two points ahead of their closest challengers.
Where to Watch
When Is Kick Off? Saturday 23 May
What Time Is Kick Off? 14:30 (BST)
Where Is it Played? Signal Iduna Park
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport (UK), fuboTV (US)
Referee? TBC
Team News
Wout Weghorst's return from suspension will likely see last weekend's hero Ginczek maintain his place among the substitutes, while Yannick Gerhardt and skipper Joshua Guilavogui are set to miss out once more with respective head and knee injuries.
Defensive midfielder Ignacio Camacho is also a doubt due to an ankle issue.
Dortmund, meanwhile, were dealt a blow in their title bid as it was discovered Marco Reus may miss the rest of the campaign with a thigh problem. Julian Brandt and Thordan Hazard proved last week, however, that they can be deployed in the free-roaming creative roles behind Erling Braut Haaland to devastating effect.
Dan-Axel Zagadou and Nico Schulz also remain out, while Axel Witsel is unlikely to be risked ahead of the imperative Klassiker in Dortmund on Tuesday evening.
Lucien Favre would be wise, though, to grant Jadon Sancho a start to build match-fitness ahead of the Bayern clash.
Predicted Lineups
Wolfsburg: Casteels; Mbabu, Knoche, Brooks, Otavio; Schlager, Arnold; Steffen, Mehmedi, Brekalo; Weghorst.
Dortmund: Burki; Piszczek, Hummels, Akanji; Hakimi, Can, Dahoud, Guerreiro; Sancho, Brandt; Haaland.
Head to Head Record
Dortmund have dominated this fixture in recent times, winning 24 of the last 43 clashes between the two sides. Die Wölfe, meanwhile, have come out on top on ten occasions in this time frame.
And after doing the double over Saturday's hosts last term, BVB secured a 3-0 win at Signal Iduna Park over Glasner's men in this season's reverse fixture back in November.
Wolfsburg last tasted victory over Die Borussen back in 2015.
Recent Form
As Steve McManaman wisely pointed out on commentary, Dortmund were heading into the Revierderby in a 'decent' run of form, winning their last four Bundesliga clashes...over two months prior.
And while they were undoubtedly helped by their bitter rivals' directionless attack and woeful structure out of possession, BVB were nonetheless superb in their 4-0 triumph.
The fluidity at which their midfield and attack rotate is subtle but devastating, while very few outfits are more effective at penetrating the half-spaces and exploiting space between the lines. Dortmund proved last weekend that this enthralling title race will go right down to the wire.
15 points from the last 21 available, meanwhile, has thrust Wolfsburg into sixth, the same position they finished last season.
And they marked their return to action in dramatic fashion last time out, as Ginczek tapped-in a 91st-minute winner after Augsburg's Tin Jedvaj had cancelled out Renato Steffen's impressive first half opener.
Here's how these two have fared in their last five outings.
Wolfsburg
Augsburg 1-2 Wolfsburg (16/5)
Wolfsburg 0-0 RB Leipzig (7/3)
Union Berlin 2-2 Wolfsburg (1/3)
Wolfsburg 4-0 Mainz (23/2)
Hoffenheim 2-3 Wolfsburg (15/2)
Dortmund
Dortmund 4-0 Schalke (16/5)
PSG 2-0 Dortmund (11/3)
Gladbach 1-2 Dortmund (7/3)
Dortmund 1-0 Freiburg (29/2)
Werder Bremen 0-2 Dortmund (22/2)
Prediction
BVB certainly won't have it as easy as they did last weekend, with Glasner's Wolfsburg set to be a sterner test in all phases of play.
And while the hosts have the capacity to disrupt Dortmund in possession with their astute but intense press, Die Borussen should still have enough fluidity and ruthlessness up top along with electricity down the flanks to sneak home in this one.
Predicition: Wolfsburg 1-2 Borussia Dortmund