Wout Weghorst continues to lead the wolf pack in 2021/22 as Wolfsburg – now coached by Mark van Bommel – make their return to the UEFA Champions League…

Last season

The good times returned to Wolfsburg in 2020/21 as the Wolves recorded only their third top-four finish in the Bundesliga, after coming second in 2014/15 and winning their sole league title in 2008/09. They were almost unbeatable for most of the season under Oliver Glasner, with their first defeat not coming until Matchday 12 away at Bayern Munich. With Weghorst banging in 20 goals – a haul not seen at the Volkswagen Arena since the days of Grafite and Edin Dzeko – and goalkeeper Koen Casteels marshalling the league’s second-tightest defence, Wolfsburg enjoyed an uninterrupted spell in the Champions League qualification places from January.

Watch: The best of Weghorst in the Bundesliga

Four of their only seven defeats across the 34 matchdays came at the hands of two of the three teams to finish above them – Bayern and Borussia Dortmund – while it was a 2-2 draw with RB Leipzig on the penultimate weekend that confirmed they will be at Europe’s top table once again next season for the first time since 2015/16.

New arrivals

As with seven of last term’s top eight, Wolfsburg begin the campaign with a new face in the dugout. Mark van Bommel twice won the Bundesliga as a player with Bayern and now takes over from Glasner on a two-year deal. Key for him is that the squad that finished fourth has remained intact, with forward Maximilian Philipp even making his loan move from Dynamo Moscow permanent. As well as acquiring highly rated teenage central midfielder Aster Vranckx from Belgian outfit Mechelen and his compatriot Sebastiaan Bornauw from Cologne, the Wolves have re-signed Germany U21 forward Lukas Nmecha - the 2020 UEFA U21 Euro Golden Boot winner - and also his younger brother Felix.

How Wolfsburg might line up?

Some of Wolfsburg's best business was keeping hold of the likes of Weghorst, Maxence Lacroix and Ridle Baku. - DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga

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What to expect

Besides Bayern, Leipzig and Dortmund, teams finishing in the top four have found it very difficult to repeat the feat again the next year. Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke and Hoffenheim have all made it into the Champions League but then faded domestically the following campaign. Wolfsburg themselves are a case in point, having made the quarter-finals in 2015/16 - beating Real Madrid 2-0 in one leg - but finishing eighth in the league.

Although the squad has remained together, it remains to be seen how they perform under van Bommel. Officials at the club will likely admit that last season’s fourth-place finish exceeded expectations, but the bar has been set higher now and another European qualification will be a must. The 2015 DFB Cup winners will also be looking to avoid a fourth straight elimination at the hands of Leipzig in that competition, having got to the quarter-finals last time around.

Lukas Nmecha scored the winning goal in this summer's Euro U21 final against Portugal and has now re-joined Wolfsburg from Manchester City. - MB Media via www.imago-images.de/imago images/MB Media Solutions

Opening fixtures

DFB Cup: Preußen Münster 1-3 Wolfsburg (aet)
Wolfsburg vs. Bochum (Saturday, 14 August)
Hertha Berlin vs. Wolfsburg (Saturday, 21 August)
Wolfsburg vs. RB Leipzig (Sunday, 29 August)
Greuther Fürth vs. Wolfsburg (Saturday, 11 September)
Champions League: First group game (14/15 September)
Wolfsburg vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (Sunday, 19 September)
Hoffenheim vs. Wolfsburg (Saturday, 25 September)

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About the clubs

VfL Wolfsburg

Volkswagen Arena