AUDIO: Data talk: That’s why VfL Wolfsburg is in crisis (3 min)
As of: October 16, 2025 10:32 a.m
Manager Peter Christiansen has put together a strong and balanced squad at Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg in recent years. But Paul Simonis is not yet getting the strengths of his players onto the pitch. The data analysis shows: The coach’s tactics are the problem.
The team from the Autostadt Wolfsburg slowly has to deliver again. Twelfth place, eighth place, twelfth place, eleventh place – the balance of the past four years reads like that of a polo. Bundesliga, yes, but not an upper class. The Wolfsburg-based company actually wants to be involved in the concert of the big players every year like a Touareg, preferably with an electric drive.
“Simonis’ team wants to control the ball, but never controls the opponent.”
GSN analysis of VfL Wolfsburg
Marcel Schäfer was unable to successfully fill the gap that Jörg Schmadtke left in the management chair at the beginning of 2023. Peter Christiansen has been in charge for a year and a half now. But success is a long time coming.
However, the data from Global Soccer Network (GSN) shows that the Dane put together the squad with foresight and managed to attract a lot of quality to the Mittelland Canal. Theoretically, more would be possible for captain Maximilian Arnold and Co. In practice, however, Coach Simonis is unable to get the horsepower on the road. And there are reasons for that.
Wolfsburg controls the ball, but never the opponent
GSN’s analysis boils it down to one sentence: “Simonis’ team wants to control the ball, but never controls the opponent.” The Dutch coach managed to organize Wolfsburg – with ten goals conceded, VfL is in the middle of the table. At the same time, the team is weak – eight goals are far too few to meet higher standards.
The previous result of five points from six games fits in with this. The result is once again a disappointing 15th place in the table. And on Saturday (3.30 p.m., in the NDR Livecenter) the difficult home game against VfB Stuttgart awaits the “Wolves”.
The theory
According to the data analysts, the current squad, which Christiansen has put together according to his ideas within three transfer periods, offers a lot: starting with goalkeeper Kamil Grabara (“core building block of a new axis – very good transfer”), through central defender Kostas Koulierakis (“world-class potential – premium hit around which the defense can be planned”) and midfielder Vinicius Souza (“key transfer for stability and balance”) to striker Mohammed Amoura (“difference player in profile, highly strategically relevant”).
Manager Peter Christiansen put together the Wolfsburg squad with foresight.
According to GSN, these four players can form a resilient axis together with defender Denis Vavro and offensive player Andreas Skov Olsen. Christiansen managed to “structurally recalibrate” VfL in a short space of time. Especially since the squad has been balanced (through further transfers) and other promising talents are under contract.
The practice
The analysis inevitably ends up with coach Simonis. First of all, the good: According to GSN, Wolfsburg is “one of the best organized teams in the league” under the 40-year-old. This is supported by winning the ball in their own penalty area (first place) and 44.33 intercepted balls per 90 minutes (third place). On average, VfL conceded just 0.17 goals after dead balls (second place) and have not yet conceded a goal after a counterattack (first place).
Things are not going well in Wolfsburg yet under the new coach Paul Simonis.
But all of this has its price. VfL is very low – and is afraid of taking risks. The Lower Saxony team mainly gets good chances from standard situations or long crosses. The attacks are predictable because individual solutions (rank 17 in dribbling) are lacking, as are good combinations. So it’s no wonder that Wolfsburg only manages an average of twelve penalty area actions per game (15th place).
And Simonis’ team almost completely lacks moments of surprise. Especially since one number is downright shocking: the balls recovered within five to ten seconds of loss (counter-pressing) still have a 0 even after six match days. The VfL engine urgently needs an inspection.
The solution
Christiansen’s general overhaul may be of high quality in theory, but in practice it doesn’t make much of a difference. But minor adjustments may help to get the Wolfsburg engine started. And the necessary spark plug could be summer signing Souza.
GSN characterizes the Brazilian’s game as “physical, vertical and aggressive”. At Simonis, however, the 26-year-old central midfielder primarily acts defensively. Because he is so deep on the field, the entire team moves further back: “He rarely moves beyond the halfway line, hardly opens up passing angles in depth and often looks for the back or cross pass.”
Wolfsburg has been waiting for a win since the first matchday in Heidenheim.
To change that, Simonis must at least soften his control-oriented approach. Starting from Souza, the game can be carried forward much more actively and quickly. Creative players like Lovro Majer or Christian Eriksen would get the ball further forward, allowing them to develop more freely and in turn be able to use their teammates better – especially on the wings. Or to stay with the metaphor: If Simonis would turn a few adjusting screws under the hood, the “Wolves” could really accelerate.