Bayern Munich vs Wolfsburg - Valerien Ismael remains confident

Posted Saturday, December 10, 2016 by PA

Wolfsburg coach Valerien Ismael insists his side will get out of their current Bundesliga predicament, although Saturday's trip to Bayern Munich is not really the fixture he needed right now.

The Wolves have picked up just a point from their last three games, while they have won only twice so far this season.

Just two points separate them from the relegation zone, although Ismael is sure they will get out of danger sooner or later - and with a trip to the Allianz Arena this Saturday, it is more likely to be later.

"Obviously this is the most difficult away game of the season," former Bayern player Ismael said at a press conference on Friday.

"It's a real challenge to measure up to a world class club - Bayern have incredible quality and they can come back from any situation, but they have let a few chances go to waste this season. Of course we will also need a bit of luck.

"I feel the team have faith in me and I have faith in them too. At the moment, we have a bit of a crisis in terms of results and we are working on that. We will get out of this situation."

Bayern's attacking midfielder Thomas Muller is also struggling for form, without a Bundesliga goal to his name yet this season.

Fortunately for him, his team-mates have ensured this has not had any real consequence in their results, although coach Carlo Ancelotti is still keen on the Germany international ending his drought soon by playing him in a position where he can do more damage.

"He's a forward and he cannot play on the wings, I know that," said the Italian coach. "He can play as a striker and he is intelligent enough to pick the right position.

"I know that Muller cannot play out on the touchline like Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery or Douglas Costa."

Whether or not Muller scores, Ancelotti is seeking a win on Saturday, either to move his team to the top of the table or keep them within touching distance of league leaders Leipzig, who travel to Ingolstadt with a three-point advantage.

"We need to focus on our game and not care about what happens in Ingolstadt," Ancelotti said.

"We know that with three wins in a row, we will be the league leaders (heading into the winter break)."

Ancelotti is torn between Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng for a place in the centre of his defence, with both players struggling with injury recently.

However, the Italian revealed that Mats Hummels cannot play due to illness, meaning he joins Kingsley Coman on the sidelines.