Wolfsburg vs CSKA Moscow preview - Motivation no problem for Dieter Hecking and Wolfsburg

Posted Tuesday, September 15, 2015 by PA

Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking insists he does not need to get his team up for their first Champions League campaign since 2009 when they face CSKA Moscow at the Volkswagen Arena.

The Wolves reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League last season before losing to Napoli and have made a strong start to the domestic campaign.

They beat Bayern Munich to win the German Supercup and sit third in the Bundesliga with two wins and two draws from their opening four games.

Hecking is not concerned about getting his team reading to face CSKA and said: "Getting the lads motivated for it is no great skill. We can go into the game against CSKA with the necessary positive basic mood.

"That's part of a coach's daily routine."

Hecking is expected to name the same line-up that drew with Ingolstadt at the weekend and added: "On a personnel level, there won't be many changes."

Captain Diego Benaglio is confident Wolfsburg can make a bigger impact than their previous excursion into the Champions League, where they were eliminated at the group stage.

Benaglio said: "Back then we were a surprise package. Over the past two and a half years we have developed really well. We are much more stable as a team.

"Our fans always do us good. That's something you could really see in the Europa League last season. We can always rely on the support from around the ground."

CSKA coach Leonid Slutsky is not expecting an easy game as he prepares his side for the Group B encounter.

He said: "It will be an important game but also a difficult match for us. I am responsible for the team and I can feel a lot of pressure but I can handle that. Wolfsburg are a very good side and we await a tough opponent.

"Wolfsburg have lost Kevin De Bruyne but they were able to react with the transfers of Dante and Julian Draxler. Wolfsburg have a lot of quality in their squad and we will definitely have to play very seriously to get something out of this match."

Wolfsburg will be without Koen Casteels with a toe injury and Vieirinha, who is struggling with a thigh problem.