VfL’s meeting with ‘Der Club’ in April 2008 will be forever etched in the memories of those who witnessed the rain-soaked encounter, which had to be abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch. It remains the only Bundesliga game involving the Wolves ever to have been abandoned.
The Franconians have their noses in front in the head-to-head department, winning ten (D11, L9) of the 30 games between the two sides in all competitions. We’ve rounded up all the key facts and stats on Friday’s visit to the Max-Morlock-Stadion (kick-off 20:30 CET):
- The two teams have never played out a goalless draw in the Bundesliga.
- The Green-Whites have failed to pick up a single point from their three Friday-night games so far this season. Nürnberg, meanwhile, are playing on a Friday for the first time this term.
- VfL have collected seven points from their last three league matches, just like they did at the start of the campaign. Eight points from four games would constitute their best run of the season.
- Federico Palacios has two goals so far this term, making him Nürnberg’s joint-top scorer alongside Michael Ishak, Adam Zrelak and Hanno Behrens. The 23-year-old knows Wolfsburg very well, having spent four years in the VfL youth team between 2009 and 2013.
- Friday’s clash is also a special occasion for Daniel Ginczek, who scored three goals in 17 Bundesliga appearances for FCN during the 2013/14 campaign.
- One of Ginczek’s three goals came against the Wolves. On VfL’s most recent visit to Nuremberg on 23 November 2013, Ginczek came off the bench to cancel out Maximilian Arnold’s opener and earn the Franconians a 1-1 draw.
- Bruno Labbadia has never lost at Nürnberg as a head coach.
- As a player, Labbadia scored a hat-trick at Nürnberg in April 1991 - his only treble in a Bundesliga away game.
